Engineered autocrine signaling eliminates muscle cell FGF2 requirements for cultured meat production
Andrew J. Stout, Xiaoli Zhang, Sophia M. Letcher, Miriam L. Rittenberg, Michelle Shub, Kristin M. Chai, Maya Kaul, David L. Kaplan
Abstract
Cultivated meat (also known as cultured meat) is a promising technology that faces substantial cost barriers, which are currently driven by the price of media components. Particularly, growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) drive the cost of serum-free media for relevant cells, including muscle satellite cells. Here, we engineered immortalized bovine satellite cells (iBSCs) for inducible expression of FGF2 and/or mutant RasG12V to overcome media growth factor requirements through autocrine signaling. Engineered cells were able to proliferate over multiple passages in FGF2-free medium, thereby eliminating the need for this costly component. Additionally, cells maintained their myogenicity, albeit with reduced myotube formation. Ultimately, this offers a proof of principle for lower-cost cultured meat production through cell line engineering.