MuSC cultivation for cultured meat production: recent advances, current limitations, and future directions

Abstract

Cultured meat is being investigated as a potential alternative to conventional livestock production by cultivating animal cells under controlled conditions to reproduce key components and structural characteristics of meat. Muscle stem cells (MuSCs), which proliferate, differentiate, and fuse into multinucleated myofibers, are the principal cell source for muscle tissue engineering. However, commercial-scale production remains limited by the restricted proliferative and myogenic potential of MuSCs during extended in vitro expansion, the lack of cost-effective and food-safe culture media, and the challenge of recreating the complex architecture of native skeletal muscle. Addressing these limitations requires integrated advances in serum-free media optimization, identification of functional components via in silico and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven approaches, biomaterial scaffold engineering, and scalable bioprocessing. Current evidence suggests that no single technological breakthrough is sufficient; rather, convergence across cell biology, computational media design, and bioprocess engineering is essential. This review provides a comprehensive framework for addressing these scientific and technical barriers and discusses strategies that may support the development of safe, affordable, and structurally relevant cultured meat products.