INTRODUCTION: Aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of injection of autologous muscle-derived cells into the urinary sphincter for treatment of postprostatectomy urinary incontinence in men and to characterize the injected cells prior to transplantation.
METHODS: 222 male patients with stress urinary incontinence and sphincter damage after uroloical procedures were treated with transurethral injection of autologous muscle-derived cells. The transplanted cells were investigated after cultivation and prior to application by immunocytochemistry using different markers of myogenic differentiation. Feasibility and functionality assessment was achieved with a follow-up of at least 12 months.
RESULTS: Follow-up was at least 12 months. Of the 222 treated patients, 120 responded to therapy of whom 26 patients (12%) were continent, and 94 patients (42%) showed improvement. In 102 (46%) patients, the therapy was ineffective. Clinical improvement was observed on average 4.7 months after transplantation and continued in all improved patients. The cells injected into the sphincter were at least ~50% of myogenic origin and representative for early stages of muscle cell differentiation.
CONCLUSIONS: Transurethral injection of muscle-derived cells into the damaged urethral sphincter of male patients is a safe procedure. Transplanted cells represent different phases of myogenic differentiation.
Written by:
Gerullis H, Eimer C, Georgas E, Homburger M, El-Baz AG, Wishahi M, Borós M, Ecke TH, Otto T. Are you the author?
West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University of Essen, Essen, Germany.
Reference: ScientificWorldJournal. 2012;2012:898535.
doi: 10.1100/2012/898535
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22919359
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