How Regenerative Therapy Is Transforming Erectile Dysfunction Treatment?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to initiate and/or maintain erection necessary for a satisfactory sexual life. Annually, ED affects around 15% of the males and by 2025 almost 320 million males are expected to  be affected by erectile dysfunction. 50% of ED cases are prevalent among men between the age group of 40 to 70 years and the factors that contribute to the ED prevalence most are diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, or metabolic syndrome.

Additionally, there are other factors that play an important role in erectile dysfunction such as alcohol consumption, smoking, stress, anxiety, relationship issues and certain medications.

Alternative and conventional treatment therapies

The limited options that contribute towards erectile dysfunction treatment in India are as follows. They are

• Extracorporeal shock wave therapy with low intensity (Li-ESWT) is a kind of therapy that stimulates the blood vessels and regenerates the tissue i.e. promotes angiogenesis. The advantage of this therapy is that it is non-invasive and safe to use.
• Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, relaxes cavernosal smooth muscles which lead to vasodilation, thus, promoting penile erection.
• Penile prosthesis implants and intracavernous injections are a considerable option in severe condition of ED. However, the treatment involves major risks and is very expensive.
• Platelet rich plasma therapy consists of growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VGEF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and insulin-like growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor which regenerates tissue, promote vasodilation and improves erectile functions.

Erectile Dysfunction Stem Cell Treatment

Stem cells differentiate into specialized types of smooth cells and endothelial cells. It repairs and replaces the lost and damaged cavernous and smooth muscles by releasing growth factors and cytokines. In ED, the main target of stem cells is regulating nitric oxide along with calcium, since both are important in vasodilation.

Mechanisms of stem cell therapy in erectile dysfunction

In order to improve erectile function, the SCT employs the following mechanisms. The mechanisms are as follows:

1. Regeneration of tissues: with the ability to differentiate, in ED stem cells differentiate into smooth muscles cells, nerve cells and endothelial cells. After the process of differentiation, stem cells begin improving erectile function by replacing the damaged erectile tissue and initiating regeneration of the tissue.
2. Angiogenesis: the process of angiogenesis begins when stem cells stimulate various growth factors and cytokines secretion which results in formation of newer blood vessels. The formation of newer blood vessels improves blood flow and results in better erection.
3. Neuroprotective effects: if a person has any comorbid condition like diabetes, along with ED, then stem cells also provide neuroprotection of nerve cells of the penis.
4. Anti-inflammatory effects: SCT reduces inflammation by modulating inflammatory response. Reduction in inflammation leads to enhancement of tissue healing.
5. Immunomodulation: stem cells modulate immune response. Stem cells also regulate immune system which in turn reduces inflammatory responses and improves tolerance of tissues.
6. Paracrine signalling: The ability of stem cells to secrete and release growth factors, bioactive molecules and cytokines results in paracrine functions. These molecules also enhance functions like tissue repair, recovery and regeneration.

List of Role of stem cell therapy in common urological conditions

The functions and role of a SCT in various urological diseases are as follows:

1. Erectile dysfunction: stem cell treatment for Erectile dysfunction is not only regenerates the tissue but also restores normal erectile function and blood flow.
2. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: in BPH, enlargement of prostate takes place and stem cells counters the enlargement of prostate and provide relief from symptoms.
3. Urinary incontinence: in a bid to improve incontinence, stem cells regenerate the damaged muscles of sphincters and urinary tract.
4. Overactive bladder: overactive bladder results in urinary urgency and alteration of functions of bladder. Therefore, stem cells counteract the overactive bladder by regeneration of damaged tissue and improving the overall functions of bladder.
5. Urethral stricture: by the action of regeneration, stem cells initiate regeneration of urethral tissues which provides relief from symptoms of stricture.

What are the stem cell therapy indications in erectile dysfunction?

In cases or situations when patient require novel approach and fails to show improvement to options that are conventional, then stem cells is the best available option.

The following are the conditions where stem cell treatment use is applicable.

1. Clinicians recommend stem cell treatment in conditions where erectile functions do not improve with conventional therapies like drugs.
2. Some of the neurological conditions like diabetic neuropathy and multiple sclerosis cause ED. SCT is establishing as pivotal and effective even in these conditions.
3. Stem cell therapy also enhances erectile functions in a condition called Peyronie’s disease where fibrous plagues form in the penis.
4. With advancing age, erectile structure and functions also changes. Therefore, SCT is also helping older adults experiencing issues.
5. Some of the ED patients experience vascular insufficiency, where alteration of blood flow occurs. In such kind of cases, stem cells can prove to be decisive option because; improving blood flow is one of the functions of stem cells.
6. Moreover, SCT can also be beneficial in patients who are contraindicated to other oral or other invasive therapies.

Benefits of stem cell therapy in Erectile dysfunction

1. Microcirculation improvement
2. Increase in NO levels, which promotes vasodilation
3. Regeneration of nerves i.e. angiogenesis
4. Improvement in erectile functions.

Regenerative therapy for erectile dysfunction in combination

Recent evidence suggests that stem cell therapy when used in combination with low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (Li-ESWT) in erectile dysfunction, the result in enhancement of erectile functions. However, more research is needed to fully demonstrate the effects. 

The studies which support the idea of combination therapies are:

1. A study by Jeon et al. suggests that stem cell in combination with Li-ESWT is effective and superior in terms of restoring damaged nerves and improving angiogenesis.
2. Similarly, another study by Shin et al. reports that combination therapy of stem cells and Li-ESWT shows better enhancement of blood flow and erectile function in comparison to monotherapy.

Summary points

Study reports suggest that about 70% of erectile dysfunction patients do not respond to conventional treatment methods. The stem cells show remarkable improvement in muscle strength, improvement in erection, improvement in social behavior, and improvement in quality of life. 

So, regenerative medicine for erectile dysfunction is the best possible option if you are looking for alternative treatment options for ED. Thus, these offerings act as a valuable asset for the impotence stem cell treatment.

FAQs:

Q: Define erectile dysfunction and list out the factors responsible for erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is inability to initiate and/or maintain erection necessary for a satisfactory sexual life. The factors that contribute to the ED prevalence are diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, or metabolic syndrome. Additionally, the other factors that play an important role in ED are alcohol consumption, smoking, stress, anxiety, relationship issues and some medications.

Q: How prevalent is erectile dysfunction?

ED is 50 % prevalent among men between the age group of 40 to 70 years. Annually, erectile dysfunction affects around 15% of the males and by 2025 almost 320 million will be affected by erectile dysfunction.

Q: Explain stem cell therapy in erectile dysfunction?

Stem cells differentiate into specialized type of smooth cells and endothelial cells. It repairs and replaces the lost and damaged cavernous and smooth muscles by releasing growth factors and cytokines. In ED, the main target of stem cell treatment is regulating nitric oxide along with calcium, since, both are important in vasodilation.

Q: List out few benefits of stem cell therapy?

Stem cell treatment possess multiple benefits and they are microcirculation improvement, increase in NO levels, which promotes vasodilation, regeneration of nerves i.e. angiogenesis and improvement in erectile functions.