Bioengineered skeletal muscle constructs offer a promising therapeutic approach for extensive muscle defect injuries. This study investigated the effects of integrating neural cells into 3D bioprinted skeletal muscle constructs to accelerate functional muscle regeneration. In vitro studies showed improved myofiber formation, long-term survival, and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation with neural cell integration. In vivo studies using a rodent model demonstrated that these constructs facilitated rapid innervation and matured into organized muscle tissue, restoring normal muscle weight and function. These results suggest that 3D bioprinted human neural-skeletal muscle constructs can rapidly integrate with the host neural network, accelerating muscle function restoration.

Ji Hyun Kim, Ickhee Kim, Young-Joon Seol, In Kap Ko, James J. Yoo, Anthony Atala, Sang Jin Lee