Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a prominent male sexual disorder. Due to the association of sexual function to masculinity, ED causes significant distress among men. They suffer with anxiety, shame, low self-esteem, and depression. Many individuals do not even report ED or seek help out of embarrassment. The cases of ED have been on the rise over the years. The lack of an absolute cure has made the management of the disorder more challenging. Recently, there have been some advances in regenerative medicine for ED. This blog has detailed the regenerative therapies for the treatment of ED.
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Let’s first understand ED. Erectile dysfunction (ED) was once termed as sexual impotence in males. An individual with ED is unable to get or sustain an erection during intercourse, leading to poor sexual performance. It severely impacts a person’s mental well-being.
What are the causes of erectile dysfunction?
The causes of ED have been classified into psychological and organic. Psychological reasons such as performance anxiety and depression are more predominant among young adults. Organic causes are physiological in nature. They can be attributed to disruption in blood flow, damage to the nervous system, and variation in hormones. The following factors can result in such physiological changes:
Diabetes mellitus
Cardiovascular disorder
Hypertension
Age
Hypogonadism
Stroke, etc.
Additionally, lifestyle choices such as substance abuse (excessive smoking, drugs, drinking), obesity, and stress, as well as taking medications like antipsychotics, anthropoids, and antidepressants) can also lead to ED.
What are the treatments available for erectile dysfunction?
Several treatment options are currently available in the market. Phosphodiesterase 5-inhibitors (PDE-5) is the first line of therapy for ED, which relaxes the penile smooth muscle and increases the blood flow. The individuals who respond poorly to PDE-5 are then treated with other options such as testosterone (for individuals with hypogonadism), vacuum devices (increase blood flow), intracavernosal injections of prostaglandin E1 (cause erection), and penile implants. However, they only mitigate the symptoms without addressing the underlying mechanisms.
What are stem cells and regenerative medicine?
Stem cells have two extraordinary abilities, self-renewal and transformation into other cells, making them popular in the regenerative field. Regenerative medicine aims at restoring or repairing the damaged tissue or organs. Stem cell therapy can restore adequate penile functioning. Mesenchymal stem cells have demonstrated potential in ED treatment and are being employed for ED due to the following reasons:
They can regulate immune responses towards repair and recovery processes.
The paracrine effects of MSCs signal the nearby cells to induce their healing pathways.
MSCs secrete factors for the protection of nerve cells.
They stimulate blood vessel density.
What are the clinical studies about regenerative medicine for Erectile Dysfunction?
In 2010, the first clinical trial of stem cell therapy was conducted on patients with erectile dysfunction with diabetes mellitus as the risk factor. The trial used umbilical cord MSCs and the outcomes showed positive effects on both the disorder and the blood glucose levels. Further studies reported that the effects were a result of paracrine signals rather than just the conversion of MSCs into tissue cells. In 2021, Demour et al. also performed another similar clinical trial on patients who had poor responses to medical drugs. The trial demonstrated improvements in all the clinical assessment scores of ED. The use of MSCs has resulted in the following effects:
Increased blood flow into the penis
Improved erection
Is Regenerative therapy for Erectile dysfunction safe?
Studies that employ MSC therapy have shown effectiveness for ED treatment. Wu et al. demonstrated that umbilical cord MSCs are enriched with numerous growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor (IGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), prostaglandin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and angiopoietin-1. These factors, along with the differentiation of MSCs, have exhibited favourable results. The studies employing regenerative medicine for ED have not shown any adverse effects, deeming it safe. The therapy has shown potential in the treatment of ED. However, the process requires optimization in regards to dosage of stem cells, time interval between doses, requirement of multiple doses, and administration routes.
Final Note
ED has a significant psychosocial impact on a man’s life, particularly on their marital relationships. The current medications alleviate symptoms that are too short-term. Thus, scientists are moving beyond these conventional therapies into the realm of stem cells. The regenerative power of stem cells enables the repair of the damage to the penis, resulting in its normal functioning. Clinical studies with mesenchymal stem cells have shown promise in the treatment of ED. Research continues to optimize the procedure of stem cell therapy and understand the underlying mechanisms of action.
Advancells, a pioneer in stem cell manufacturing, has demonstrated a commitment to quality and excellence. It provides high-quality umbilical cord MSCs to boost the field of regenerative therapy. So avail the benefits of regenerative medicine for ED to transform your life.
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