Skeletal muscle in a dish: towards making skeletal muscle in vitro

Dahri, O. (2025)

Doctoral Thesis

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue in the human body, playing a critical role in numerous physiological functions. Over the past few decades, our understanding of skeletal muscle function and its associated diseases has significantly progressed, largely due to the development of advanced in vitro models. These sophisticated systems have become vital for studying stem cell-based regenerative medicine, testing new therapeutic strategies, and investigating the mechanisms underlying both healthy and diseased muscle states. 

In this thesis, we explored various facets of recreating human skeletal muscle in vitro. Our research ranged from describing the presence of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to pio¬neering innovative materials for in vitro applications. Additionally, we evaluated advanced 3D models within the context of skeletal muscle disease, advancing our understanding of this complex tissue

• Stem Cells
• Skeletal Muscle
• In vitro models
• 3D printing
• Noncoding RNA

• All authors: Dahri, O.
• Supervisor: Geijsen, N.
• Co-supervisor: Sage, F.G.
• Committee: Chuva de Sousa Lopes, S.M.; Jongbloed, M.R.M.; Meer, A. van der; Dias-Castilho, M.; Pyle, A.D.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Faculty of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden University
• Date: 2025-10-23
• ISBN (print): 9789465226309
• Sponsorship: The work has been financially supported by research grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW, #NNF21CC0073729), FSHDglobal, and the Stichting Utrecht Singelswim.