A systematic review of stem cell therapy treatment for women suffering from stress urinary incontinence

Abstract

Background Stem cell therapy (SCT) is used for regeneration of injured tissues. This seems a novel promising strategy for restoring urethral sphincter function in patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Objective To summarize the clinical trials available to date on SCT for treatment of SUI in women. Search strategy PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Embase. Selection criteria Prospective interventional case series, randomized prospective interventional study and prospective cohort study assessing women aged 18 years and over diagnosed with SUI and treated by SCT were included. The quality of studies was finally assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists according to the PRISMA guidelines. Data collection and analysis Nineteen studies (n = 773 patients) were selected for final analysis. These were conducted worldwide between the years 2005 and 2016. Although different cell types were used, general processing steps were similar. The follow‐up period ranged between 6 weeks and 6 years and included common subjective and objective evaluation tools. Results Overall, the studies imply that SCT for treatment of SUI is a safe and effective treatment. Conclusion In our opinion, the initial results of SCT for the treatment of SUI seem promising. Standardization and validation of this treatment modality is required before it can be recommended for routine use.

Updates to Surgical Treatment of Female Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI): AUA/SUFU Guideline (2023)

“…Klapper-Goldstein et al performed a systematic review of 773 patients in 19 studies with various study designs. 22 A second large meta-analysis of 23 studies with a total of 890 male and female patients reported results for women separately. 23 Neither study reported comparators, outcomes, or outcome data in the abstract, rendering the ability to draw meaningful support for SCT unclear.…”

“…23 Neither study reported comparators, outcomes, or outcome data in the abstract, rendering the ability to draw meaningful support for SCT unclear. However, Klapper-Goldstein concluded that SCT is a safe and effective treatment for SUI, 22 and Huang reported a 26% pooled complication rate for females with no serious complications. 23…”

Platelet rich plasma for the management of urogynecological disorders: the current evidence

“…Surgical repair is considered a second line therapy should the conservative ones fail and has been associated with improved efficacy compared to the latter. The most common surgical procedure for the management of SUI include synthetic mid-urethral slings (MUS), autologous fascial graft slings and colposuspension [6,10]. The aforementioned therapies despite being very effective, they are also inherently related to postoperative morbidity [11].…”

“…The aforementioned therapies despite being very effective, they are also inherently related to postoperative morbidity [11]. For instance, the use of MUS for surgical repair has been criticized due to specific complications such as mesh extrusion, pain and postoperative voiding problems [10]. To that end, a variety of alternative approaches has been suggested.…”

“…To that end, a variety of alternative approaches has been suggested. Namely, the use of bulking agents, electrical stimulation and tissue engineering with radiofrequency as well as PRP and stem cell therapy have recently gained significant popularity [10].…”