Recreate urinary tube from patient cell

Researchers at the Institute of Reconstructive Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have reported a new advance in tissue engineering. This is the first research group in the world to use a patient's own cells to regenerate urinary tubes and successfully replace damaged tissue .

Urinary system (Photo: iStockphoto / Sebastian Kaulitzki)

In an article by The Lancet , the team reported replacing the broken segments of the urinary tract (urethras) in five male patients. Tests to measure urine flow and tube diameter confirm that the regenerated tissue will function normally for the next six years.

Urinary tract defects can result from injury, illness or congenital. While short-tube defects are easily repaired, larger defects are grafted, often taken from the skin or mucous membranes of the cheeks. " The puzzle pieces, may have a failure rate of more than 50%, often narrowed, leading to infection, dysuria, pain and bleeding ," said Atlántida-Raya Rivera, the lead author and director of the Department. HIMFG Tissue Engineering experiment at Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico City.

Therefore, " These studies show that recurrent urinary tract can be successfully used in patients and can replace current treatment with a high failure rate. This is an example of a strategy. Apply tissue technology to many other tissues and organs, 'said Anthony Atala, director of the Institute of Regenerative Medicine.