Penis tissue replaced in laboratory
Dec 16, 2009
Tissue created in a laboratory has been used to completely replace the erectile tissue of the penis in animals.
Tissue created in a laboratory has been used to completely replace the erectile tissue of the penis in animals.
The development raises hopes of being able to restore full function to human penises that have been damaged by injury or disease.
Rabbits given the engineered tissue by the scientists from Wake Forest university in North Carolina had normal sexual function and produced offspring.
The study appears online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Anthony Atala said: “Further studies are required, of course, but our results are encouraging and suggest that the technology has considerable potential for patients who need penile reconstruction.
“Our hope is that patients with congenital abnormalities, penile cancer, traumatic injury and some cases of erectile dysfunction will benefit from this technology in the future.â€
Reconstructing damaged or diseased penile erectile tissue is a tough challenge because of the tissue’s complex structure and function.
Scientists harvested smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells from the animals’ erectile tissue and multiplied them in the laboratory. The product was used to seed a three-dimensional scaffold, which was implanted into the animals’ penis.
Organised erectile tissue with blood vessel structures began to form as early as a month later.
The researchers believe the key was the fact that the cells were injected into the scaffolds on two separate days, enabling them to hold almost six times as many smooth muscle cells as in previous studies.
The development raises hopes of being able to restore full function to human penises that have been damaged by injury or disease.
Rabbits given the engineered tissue by the scientists from Wake Forest university in North Carolina had normal sexual function and produced offspring.
The study appears online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Anthony Atala said: “Further studies are required, of course, but our results are encouraging and suggest that the technology has considerable potential for patients who need penile reconstruction.
“Our hope is that patients with congenital abnormalities, penile cancer, traumatic injury and some cases of erectile dysfunction will benefit from this technology in the future.â€
Reconstructing damaged or diseased penile erectile tissue is a tough challenge because of the tissue’s complex structure and function.
Scientists harvested smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells from the animals’ erectile tissue and multiplied them in the laboratory. The product was used to seed a three-dimensional scaffold, which was implanted into the animals’ penis.
Organised erectile tissue with blood vessel structures began to form as early as a month later.
The researchers believe the key was the fact that the cells were injected into the scaffolds on two separate days, enabling them to hold almost six times as many smooth muscle cells as in previous studies.