US20260055377
2026-02-26
Chemistry; metallurgy
C12N5/0697
The invention outlines a method for culturing and differentiating pluripotent cells into muscle progenitor and mature muscle cells. This process aims to facilitate the large-scale production of cultured meat, offering an efficient, ethical, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional meat production. The method leverages a developmental-path based protocol that is serum-free and does not require genomic modifications, making it suitable for industrial applications.
The meat industry significantly contributes to environmental degradation and climate change, with meat consumption expected to double by 2050. Cultured meat presents a solution to these issues, maintaining the taste and nutritional value of traditional meat while reducing ethical and environmental concerns. Current methods for generating skeletal muscle cells in vitro are inefficient, highlighting the need for a faster, cost-effective process that mimics natural embryonic development.
The disclosed protocol involves inducing muscle differentiation in 3D suspended cell cultures starting from embryonic stem cells. It utilizes the self-organization properties of embryonic systems combined with biotechnological solutions to achieve mass production of cultured meat. This approach effectively bridges the gap between existing muscle differentiation protocols and the scale-up requirements for food production.
The protocol produces somites and somite-like structures, which are crucial for mimicking embryonic development stages. This results in cultured tissue that closely resembles real meat, including muscle, adipose, connective tissue, and blood. The process requires minimal growth factors, making it cost-effective. Additionally, it produces myogenic progenitors rapidly, within two weeks, using low concentrations of growth factors, enhancing its industrial viability.
The method is adaptable for producing cultured meat from various species due to the conserved nature of vertebrate developmental processes. It begins with stem cells and allows differentiation in suspension, suitable for large-scale bioreactors. This fast, reproducible, and cost-effective protocol is ideal for industrial manufacturing of cultured meat, ensuring it includes the features of conventional livestock meat.