STEM CELL THERAPY CAN RESTORE SEXUAL FUNCTION IN ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION-- MEDICINEDAILYNEWS

Erectile dysfunction : Stem
cell therapy restores
sexual function in phase I
trial
Written by Honor Whiteman
Published: Sat 25 Mar 2017
E
Written by Honor Whiteman
arly results of a clinical trial suggest that
stem cell therapy may be a promising
treatment for erectile dysfunction , after the
procedure was found to restore sexual
function in men with the condition .
Researchers suggest that stem cell therapy may be an
effective treatment strategy for ED.
The stem cell therapy involves injecting the patients' own
stem cells - derived from abdominal fat cells - into the
erectile tissue of the penis.
Lead researcher Dr. Martha Haahr, of Odense University
Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues found that within 6
months of the procedure, 8 of the 21 men treated were able
to engage in spontaneous sexual intercourse.
The researchers recently presented their findings at EAU17
- the European Association of Urology's annual conference
- held in London in the United Kingdom.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition whereby a man has
difficulties getting or maintaining an erection in order to
engage in sexual intercourse.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive Kidney Diseases, around 12 percent of men under
the age of 60, and 22 percent of men aged between 60 and
69, have ED.
High blood pressure, diabetes , heart disease , chronic
kidney disease , and prostate surgery are some of the
physical conditions that can cause ED. Psychological
issues - such as anxiety , stress , depression , and low self-
esteem - can also contribute to ED.
Current treatments for ED include PDE5 inhibitors (such as
Viagra), penile implants, and injections. However, Dr.
Haahr and team note that all of these therapies can have
significant side effects.
As a result, researchers are on the hunt for alternative
treatments for ED, and stem cell therapy has emerged as a
promising candidate in animal trials.
Sexual function improvements evident a year
after treatment
In their phase I trial, Dr. Haahr and colleagues tested stem
cell therapy on 21 men who had ED as a result of
undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer .
None of the men had responded to standard medical
treatment for ED.
For the stem cell procedure, abdominal fat cells were
extracted from each man through liposuction. Stem cells
were then isolated from the fat cells and injected into the
corpus cavernosum of the penis - the spongy tissue that
normally becomes filled with blood during an erection.
Before the stem cell procedure and 6 and 12 months after,
the participants' erectile function was assessed using the
International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire .
An IIEF score of 5-7 represents severe erectile dysfunction,
12-16 is mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, and 22-25
is no erectile dysfunction.
All 21 men saw their erectile function improve with stem
cell therapy: their IIEF score increased from 6 prior to
treatment to 12 at 6 months after treatment.
Eight of the men reported that they had been able to engage
in spontaneous sexual activity 6 months after stem cell
therapy, and this outcome remained evident at 12 months
after treatment. These men saw their IIEF score rise from 7
to 14 with stem cell therapy.
"What we have done establishes that this technique can
lead to men recovering a spontaneous erection - in other
words, without the use of other medicines, injections, or
implants," says Dr. Haahr.
Stem cell therapy ' could be a long - term
solution ' for ED
Although the study findings are preliminary, the team says
that they show promise for stem cell therapy as an effective
treatment strategy for ED.
"We are the first to use a man's own fat stem cells as a
treatment for erectile dysfunction in a clinical trial. The
technique has been trialed in animal work, but this is the
first time stem cell therapy has allowed patients to recover
sufficient erectile function to enable intercourse," says Dr.
Haahr.