Stem Cell Therapy for Urinary Stress Incontinence

Innsbruck, Austria -

Stress incontinence means having to urinate as a result of coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise. Usually this condition is associated with muscular dysfunction or damage.

In a recent paper (Strasser et al. Autologous myoblasts and fibroblasts versus collagen for treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2007 Jun 30;369(9580):2179-86) stem cells (well actually progenitors) were used to successfully treat this condition.

The investigators report on a study of 63 women with urinary stress incontinence.

42 were randomized to receive transurethral ultrasonography-guided injections of autologous myoblasts and fibroblasts

21 were randomized to receive conventional endoscopic injections of collagen.

1 year after the procedure, 38 of the 42 women in the treated group were completely continent, whereas only 2 of the 21 in the control group were continent.