Lab-grown contracting muscle implants replicate exercise effects in mice
Scientists at the Institute for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine in Beijing grew muscle stem cells from mouse quadriceps into small tissue grafts, called myografts, and implanted them under the skin of the animals' backs. The grafts formed organized, blood-vessel-fed muscle tissue that contracted continuously for months, producing gains in muscle mass, strength and bone density and slowing age-related muscle decline, according to a study published in Nature Aging.