Engineering of muscle tissue

Surgical reconstruction of muscle tissue lost by traumatic injury or tumor ablation is limited by the lack of availability of functional substitution of native tissue. Until now, few alternatives have existed to provide functional restoration of lost muscle tissues. Engineering those tissues may be an alternative approach and may one day allow replacement of such damaged or failing tissues and organs. Techniques attempting regeneration of human tissues and organs (ie, tissue engineering) have recently entered into clinical practice. This article reviews some of the recent findings resulting from tissue engineering science related to the creation and regeneration of functional skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle.