Current Perspectives on Stem Cell Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common sexual disorder that affects the lives of millions of male patients and their partners. Various medical and surgical therapies exist, with the most common being oral intake of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors. One therapeutic strategy in preclinical development to treat ED is stem cell transplantation.

AIM: To examine the studies that have investigated stem cells for the treatment of ED.

METHODS: A literature review was performed through PubMed focusing on stem cells and ED.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: An assessment of different types of stem cells and how they may be applied therapeutically in the treatment of ED.

RESULTS: The stem cell types that have been investigated for the treatment of ED include bone marrow-derived mesenchymal, adipose-derived, muscle-derived, testes, urine-derived, neural crest, and endothelial progenitor. Depending on the cell type, research has demonstrated that with transplantation, stem cells exert a paracrine effect on penile tissue, and can differentiate into smooth muscle, endothelium, and neurons.

CONCLUSION: Multiple stem cell lines are currently being studied for their potential to treat ED. To date, stem cells have proven safe and effective in both animal and human models of ED. More research is needed to understand their full therapeutic potential.