Human iPSC-derived muscle cells

Consistent, defined and scalable human iPSC-derived skeletal myocytes for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) research

Significant advances are being made in the study of musculoskeletal disease. Where conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) were once seen as untreatable, hope now swells as gene therapies advance into the market. Critical to the study and treatment of conditions like DMD is the use of physiologically relevant musculoskeletal disease models. As immortalised human muscle cell lines can be difficult to access, and animal myoblast cell lines are phenotypically distinct from their in vivo counterparts, many in the field are now turning to a more physiologically accurate source of cells: iPSC-derived myocytes [1].

bit.bio’s deterministic cell programming technology (known as opti-ox™) makes it possible to generate functional human skeletal muscle cells with unmatched lot-to-lot consistency from iPSCs on a nearly limitless scale (all without the challenges typically associated with myocyte differentiation). Both wild-type and disease-specific myocytes are readily available, enabling researchers to study skeletal myocytes in vitro with ever more translational power.

Leveraging genetically matched controls, human iPSC-derived skeletal myocytes containing DMD mutations can be used to screen prospective therapeutics, including exon-skipping therapies and other advanced drug modalities. 

Strengthen your research with bit.bio’s human iPSC-derived skeletal myocytes.

Engineered to meet your workflow with our toolkit of ioWild Type Cells and ioDisease Model Cells

ioWild Type Cells

ioSkeletal Myocytes cat no | io1002

ioDisease Model Cells

ioSkeletal Myocytes DMD Exon 44 Deletion cat no | io1018

ioDisease Model Cells

ioSkeletal Myocytes DMD Exon 45 Deletion cat no | io6021

ioDisease Model Cells

ioSkeletal Myocytes DMD Exon 51 Deletion cat no | io6023

ioDisease Model Cells

ioSkeletal Myocytes DMD Exon 52 Deletion cat no | io1019

Driving a better understanding of musculoskeletal disease

Dr Rita Horvath, Director of Research in Genetics of Rare Neurological Disorders at the University of Cambridge discusses the mechanical and metabolic roles of myocytes in health and disease, experimental limitations and new opportunities offered by consistent, scalable human myocytes for muscle research and disease modelling.

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Browse relevant resources

Brochure

ioSkeletal Myocytes

bit.bio

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Poster

Generation of human iPSC-derived Duchenne muscular dystrophy skeletal myocytes suitable for 3D functional studies and investigating methods for dystrophin restoration

Bernard, et al

bit.bio

2024

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Publication

Functional neurological restoration of amputated peripheral nerve using biohybrid regenerative bioelectronics

Rochford and Carnicer-Lombarte et al.

Science Advances

2023

Featuring opti-ox enabled skeletal myocytes iPS cell line

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Talk

Using human iPSC-derived ioSkeletal Myocytes and ioMotor Neurons to model complex neuromuscular systems in vitro

Dr Grace Cooper | Senior Scientist | bit.bio

 

Human Cell Forum 2025
Session 1 Track 2 | From cells to systems: Building human iPSC-derived models of pain, neuromuscular junctions, and glial dynamics

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Talk

Toward clinical trial in a dish: harnessing iPSC models in drug discovery

Dr Sara Martin | Scientist | Axxam

 

Human Cell Forum 2025 
Session 3 | Making complex human biology compatible with modern drug discovery workflows

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User manual

ioSkeletal Myocytes and related disease models

 bit.bio 

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Video

Introducing ioSkeletal Myocytes | Developing the next generation of human muscle cells

Dr Will Bernard | Director of Cell Type Development | bit.bio

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Video tutorial

How to culture ioSkeletal Myocytes

Prachi Bhagwatwar​​​​ | ​Research Assistant | bit.bio

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Webinar

Advances in cellular reprogramming: from stem cells to printed tissues

Prof Hagan Bayley | University of Oxford
Dr Mark Kotter | Founder and CEO | bit.bio

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Webinar

Research in Motion with ioSkeletal Myocytes

Dr Luke Flatt | Senior Scientist | Charles River Laboratories

Dr Will Bernard | Senior Scientist | bit.bio

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Webinar

Advancements in 3D modeling: Building mature, functional 3D skeletal muscle microtissues in vitro

Dr Marieke Aarts | Principal Scientist | Bi/ond

Amanda Turner | Senior Product Manager | bit.bio

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Protocol

mRNA transfection of ioSkeletal Myocytes

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Protocol

Co-culturing ioSkeletal Myocytes and ioMotor Neurons

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Protocol

Cell counting protocol for ioCells

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Protocol

Lentiviral transduction of ioSkeletal Myocytes

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Protocol

Immunocytochemistry staining for ioSkeletal Myocytes

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Protocol

RNA extraction and RT-qPCR protocol for ioCells

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

• Why are physiologically relevant in vitro models critical for musculoskeletal disease research?

The study and treatment of conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) rely on the use of physiologically relevant disease models to more accurately mimic disease pathology in vitro and test emerging gene therapies. The gold standard for modelling musculoskeletal disease in vitro is primary human muscle cells or primary skeletal myocytes, as these are closest to native human biology. However, limited tissue availability and donor variability make them difficult to scale for drug discovery. Consequently, researchers often use alternative models, such as immortalised cell lines or animal myoblast cell lines. C2C12 mouse-derived stem cells are commonly used as they are easy to culture and scale, but they lack physiological relevance to human biology. Emerging models, including human iPSC-derived muscle cells, aim to bridge this gap by offering both physiological relevance and scalability for more predictive research.

• What advantages do human iPSC-derived skeletal myocytes offer over traditional muscle cell lines?

Human iPSC-derived skeletal myocytes offer an alternative to immortalised cell lines or animal myoblasts, which often lack physiological relevance. Generated using opti-ox technology, cryopreserved, post-mitotic human iPSC-derived ioSkeletal Myocytes provide a physiologically relevant source of human cells with high lot-to-lot consistency, which is critical for reproducible translational research.

• Which Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) models are available in bit.bio’s porfolio?

To model musculoskeletal diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), scientists can access genetically engineered human skeletal myocytes carrying specific mutations, such as Exon 44, 45, 51 and 52 deletions. When paired with genetically matched wild-type controls, these cells allow for the screening of advanced drug modalities, such as exon-skipping therapies, within a defined, consistent human background.

• Is it possible to co-culture ioSkeletal Myocytes with other cell types?

bit.bio’s human iPSC-derived skeletal myocytes can be co-cultured with other relevant cell types, such as ioMotor Neurons, to model complex neuromuscular systems in vitro. This capability is critical for studying the neuromuscular junction and broader mechanisms involved in musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders.

References

1. Danisovic L, Culenova M, Csobonyeiova M (2018) Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Modeling and Therapy. Cells. 2018 Dec 7;7(12):253. doi: 10.3390/cells7120253. PMCID: PMC6315586  PMID: 30544588

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