Tissue engineering and stem cell application of urethroplasty: from bench to bedside.
OBJECTIVE
To review the advances in the basic research and clinical application of tissue engineering and stem cell technology in urethral reconstruction. Urethral defects resulting from congenital malformations, trauma, inflammation, or cancer are a common urologic issue. Traditional urethral reconstruction is associated with various complications. Tissue engineering and stem cell technology hold novel therapeutic promise for urethral reconstruction.


METHODS
One of us searched the PubMed database (January 1999 to January 2011) using the English search terms "tissue engineering," "stem cells," "urethral reconstruction," and "urethra." A total of 86 reports were retrieved. After the repetitive and irrelevant reports were excluded, 40 were included in the final analysis. The review outlined and evaluated the advances in basic research and clinical application and the current status and prospects of tissue engineering and stem cell technology in urinary reconstruction.


RESULTS
Two therapeutic strategies are available for urethral reconstruction using tissue engineering: the acellular matrix bioscaffold model and the cell-seeded bioscaffold model. The acellular matrix bioscaffold model has been successfully used in the clinic and the cell-seeded bioscaffold model is making its transition from bench to bedside.


CONCLUSIONS
Stem cells can provide the seed cells for urologic tissue engineering, but much basic research is still needed before their clinical use is possible.
Department of Urology, Shanghai 6th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China. jamesqfu@yahoo.com.cn
Qiang
Q
Fu
Yi-Lin
YL
Cao
D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007021:Hypospadias / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000637:transplantation; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000639:trends; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014521:Urethra / Q000601:surgery*; D014525:Urethral Stricture / Q000601:surgery
D001672:Biocompatible Materials