Intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is located between skeletal muscle fibers and is associated with diseases such as obesity, diabetes, muscular dystrophies and age-related sarcopenia. Whether IMAT is the cause or consequence of these diseases is still unclear. According to the WHO, sarcopenia in particular will affect over 2 billion people by 2050 and leads to loss of mobility, increased risk of injury and high healthcare costs. Previous findings are mostly based on imaging, direct functional examinations are lacking due to difficult tissue accessibility. The 3D-IMAT research project is therefore developing patient-specific, in vitro 3D models of intermuscular fatty tissue. These are to be created using automated and AI-supported biofabrication - either by bioprinting undifferentiated precursor cells or by bioassembling differentiated fatty spheroids around muscle fibers. The aim is to better understand the role of IMAT in muscle growth, muscle atrophy and fibrosis.
