Generation of multitissue cell-cultivated meat via multidirectional differentiation of stable porcine epiblast stem cells

Cell-cultivated meat has emerged as an alternative approach for sustainable protein production, but replicating the texture and complex composition of conventional meat remains a critical challenge. Here, we developed an efficient approach to produce multitissue engineered meat by leveraging a serum- and animal-component-free differentiation system to direct porcine pregastrulation epiblast stem cells toward muscle, adipose, and endothelium with synergistic functions. These three types of cell progenitors demonstrated autonomous intercellular recognition and coculture compatibility in a scaffold-free 3D suspension system, enabling the spontaneous formation of tissue-mimetic spheroids with enhanced cellular multiplication efficiency. The products of multitissue cultivated meat recapitulated the textural properties of conventional pork and allowed for nutritional modulation. This platform overcomes key limitations in currently employed cultured meat technologies by integrating scalable 3D suspension culture with serum-free, species-specific stem cell multidirectional differentiation, providing an avenue for the development of multitissue cell-cultivated meat.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-03-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70177-w
Primary Topic
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Generation of multitissue cell-cultivated meat via multidirectional differentiation of stable porcine epiblast stem cells

Runbo Li, Linzi Li, Yixuan Yao, Minglei Zhi et al.
Nature Communications
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
article

Generation of multitissue cell-cultivated meat via multidirectional differentiation of stable porcine epiblast stem cells

Runbo Li, Linzi Li, Yixuan Yao, Minglei Zhi, Jianyong Han, Aijin Ma, Lun Qin, Xinze Chen, Gaoxiang Zhu, He Zhang, Yachun Chen, Xianchao Feng, Shunxin Wang, Tong Wang, Yingjie Wang, Suying Cao, Yu Huan Zhang
article en

Abstract

Cell-cultivated meat has emerged as an alternative approach for sustainable protein production, but replicating the texture and complex composition of conventional meat remains a critical challenge. Here, we developed an efficient approach to produce multitissue engineered meat by leveraging a serum- and animal-component-free differentiation system to direct porcine pregastrulation epiblast stem cells toward muscle, adipose, and endothelium with synergistic functions. These three types of cell progenitors demonstrated autonomous intercellular recognition and coculture compatibility in a scaffold-free 3D suspension system, enabling the spontaneous formation of tissue-mimetic spheroids with enhanced cellular multiplication efficiency. The products of multitissue cultivated meat recapitulated the textural properties of conventional pork and allowed for nutritional modulation. This platform overcomes key limitations in currently employed cultured meat technologies by integrating scalable 3D suspension culture with serum-free, species-specific stem cell multidirectional differentiation, providing an avenue for the development of multitissue cell-cultivated meat.

Nature Communications
Beijing Technology and Business University (CN), Beijing University of Agriculture (CN), China Agricultural University (CN), Northwest A&F University (CN)
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 45%
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Generation of multitissue cell-cultivated meat via multidirectional differentiation of stable porcine epiblast stem cells — Runbo Li, Linzi Li, et al. · Nature Communications (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS