Biomaterial Strategies for Adipose Tissue Engineering in Cultured Meat: From Cell Sources to Edible Scaffolds.
Park S., Lee J., Lee SS.
Narrative Review, published in ACS Biomater Sci Eng (2026) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Narrative Review
- Journal
- ACS Biomater Sci Eng (2026)
- Country
- United States
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- PubMed
- PMID
- 42573491
- DOI
- 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6c00845
Abstract (original English)
Adipose tissue is a critical determinant of meat quality, contributing to flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and nutritional value through intramuscular fat (marbling). In the rapidly advancing field of cellular agriculture, engineering functional fat tissue remains one of the most significant challenges for producing cultured meat that recapitulates the sensory attributes of conventional products. This review bridges the established knowledge base of clinical adipose tissue engineering with the emerging requirements of cultured meat biofabrication, providing a biomaterials-centric framework for engineering edible fat. We systematically evaluate cell sources for scalable adipogenesis, including adipose-derived stem cells, fibro-adipogenic progenitors, dedifferentiated fat cells, and pluripotent stem cells, with emphasis on species-specific considerations for livestock. Biomaterial design criteria for adipose scaffolds are critically analyzed, highlighting the importance of mechanical softness (<3 kPa), high porosity (>90%), and food-grade composition. Scaffold materials spanning natural polymers, plant-derived proteins, decellularized matrices, and composite hydrogels are compared for their adipogenic potential and edibility. Biofabrication strategies including three-dimensional bioprinting, microcarrier-based expansion, and spheroid self-assembly are assessed for their scalability
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
- • This is a narrative review: it collects no new patient data and does not systematically appraise evidence quality.
Evidence level
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
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