Abstract
Tissue engineering in urology is a broad term used to describe the development of alternative tissue sources for diseased or dysfunctional native urologic tissue. This article reviews the recently published techniques involving synthetic and natural biodegradable matrices alone, known as "unseeded" scaffolds, and the latest data on "seeded" scaffolds, which are impregnated with cultured cells from urologic organs. Recent discoveries in reporter gene labeling of urologic tissue are discussed as a new method to identify and track the fates of these transplanted cells in vivo. This article also investigates how these bioengineering techniques are applied to synthetic and natural scaffolds, such as polyglycolic acid and porcine small intestine submucosa, to increase bladder capacity, repair urethral strictures, and replace corporal plaques in Peyronie's disease. Furthermore, recently published reports that these materials have been seeded with chondrocytes to create corporal rods for penile prostheses and stents for ureteral and urethral stricture disease are discussed. With these latest developments as a foundation, the future directions of tissue engineering in urology are presented.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
