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Stem Cells Help Urinary Incontinence?
June 28, 2007 -- Injections of stem cells and other cells obtained from a woman's own body can treat stress urinary incontinence with dramatically better results than conventional collagen injections, according to a new study from Austria.
The results, which mimic those from similar research under way in the U.S., might also be long-lasting. "The treatment might have a chance to be permanent," Giacomo Novara, MD, a doctor at the University of Padua in Italy, tells WebMD in an email interview. Novara wrote a comment accompanying the study. Both appear in the June 30 issue of The Lancet.
More than 13 million women in the U.S. suffer from stress urinary incontinence, a condition much more common in women than in men. The condition develops as the urethral sphincter muscles, which control the flow of urine, weaken, typically after childbirth or with age. When a person coughs, sneezes, or laughs, urine can leak.
The Austrian Study
The Austrian researchers, led by Hannes Strasser, MD, from the Medical University of Innsbruck, compared the effects of the stem cell injections with conventional injections of collagen in 63 women with stress urinary incontinence.
They first performed a small muscle biopsy on the upper arms of the 42 women assigned to get the stem cell injections. In the laboratory, they retrieved myoblasts, a type of muscle stem cell, and fibroblasts, cells which form the structural framework for many body tissues. Both types of cells have been shown effective in reconstructing the lower urinary tract in animal studies, according to Strasser.
Next, guided by ultrasound, Strasser's team injected the cells back into the women's sphincter and surrounding area.
Traditional collagen injections, which don't typically have a high success rate for incontinence, were given to the other 21 women. Collagen treatments work by bulking up the area to compress the urethra -- helping to hold urine.
After 12 months, 38 of the 42 women given the stem cell and other cell injections were completely continent. The other four showed either slight or substantial improvement. But just two of the 21 who got collagen injections were continent; seven others showed either slight or substantial improvement.
On ultrasound exams after the injections, the thickness of the sphincter had increased 59% in the women given cell injections but just 9% in the collagen-treated group. The muscle contractibility rose much more in the cell group. Increases in the sphincter thickness and muscle contractibility are thought to help improve symptoms.
Women treated with the injections of cells reported higher quality of life than the collagen-treated group.
None of the women reported any adverse side effects.
Strasser is a founder and co-owner of the biotechnology company at which the retrieved cells were prepared, but the company had no role in the research, he says.
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Indication
Uroxatral® (alfuzosin HCl 10 mg extended-release tablets) is an alpha1-blocker for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH.
Important Safety Information
Do not take UROXATRAL if you have liver problems or if you are taking antifungal drugs like ketoconazole or itraconazole, or HIV drugs like ritonavir.
UROXATRAL can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, especially when starting treatment. This may lead to fainting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do any dangerous activity until you know how UROXATRAL will affect you. This is especially important if you already have a problem with low blood pressure or take medicines to treat high blood pressure. There may be an increased risk of low blood pressure and fainting when taking UROXATRAL in combination with blood pressure medication or nitrates, or erectile dysfunction medication.
If considering cataract surgery (clouding of the eyes), tell your eye surgeon that you are currently taking UROXATRAL or have previously been treated with an alpha-blocker.
Before taking UROXATRAL, tell your doctor if you have kidney problems.
Also, tell your doctor if you or any family member(s) have or take medications for a rare heart condition known as congenital prolongation of the QT interval.
BPH and prostate cancer can cause the same symptoms. However, UROXATRAL is not a treatment for prostate cancer.
The most common side effects with UROXATRAL are dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and tiredness.
Please see UROXATRAL full prescribing information.
