Preclinical research studies for treating severe muscular injuries: focus on tissue-engineered strategies

Severe skeletal muscle injuries are a lifelong trauma with limited medical solutions. Significant progress has been made in developing in vitro surrogates for treating such trauma. However, more attention is needed when translating these approaches to the clinic. In this review, we survey the potential of tissue-engineered surrogates in promoting muscle healing, by critically analyzing data from recent preclinical models. The therapeutic advantages provided by a combination of different biomaterials, cell types, and biochemical mediators are discussed. Current therapies on muscle healing are also summarized, emphasizing their main advantages and drawbacks. We also discuss previous and ongoing clinical trials as well as highlighting future directions for the field. Severe skeletal muscle traumas are characterized by damaged muscle bundles, the main pool of muscle stem cells, which leads to compromised muscular autoregeneration potential.No medical intervention is currently available that can fully retrieve the physical activity and functionality of muscle traumas.Tissue-engineering strategies, comprising the traditional triad (cells, growth factors, and scaffolds), are a promising alternative for muscular regeneration.Current advances in biomaterials, together with appropriate cell types/biomolecules, are crucial in developing preclinical treatments.