The ability to generate biomimetic 3D skeletal muscle tissues in vitro would have important implications for both cell biology and medicine. To that end, a significant body of work has recently been published detailing the efforts of various groups to synthesise such a model. These protocols involve the seeding of muscle derived cells (MDCs) within a biomimetic scaffold of extra cellular matrix proteins and rely on the ability of MDCs to self-orientate between two fixed points. The contractile ability of our collagen based 3D model, constructed in such a way, is well established1 and our goal now is towards making the model more biomimetic. Since denervated muscle quickly undergoes atrophy, it is likely that the introduction of a neural input will significantly improve the maturation of MDCs within our culture system, as well as establish a complex 3D co-culture model that better mimics in vivo conditions that exist within innervated muscle. Furthermore, the possibility of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) formation in vitro opens the door to future research testing the effects of neuromuscular agents in culture, which may help to minimize the need for in vivo testing of such agents. Here we present our data characterising the development and maturation of this 3D co-culture system, compare results with both 2D and in vivo controls and discuss the implications for the future of skeletal muscle tissue culture techniques
