Chinese scientists have developed a synthetic tissue that repairs wounds and restores erectile function in pigs, approx “promising” results that could be applied to humans.
The study, the details of which were published in the journal Cell phone presssuggest that the artificial tunica albuginea (ATA), which mimics the fibrous lining of the testicles that helps maintain an erectioncould help repair penile injuries in humans.
“We were surprised by the results of animal experiments, in which the penis regained normal erection immediately after using ATA“, explains Xuetao Shi, researcher at the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou (China) and author of the study.
The biggest advantage of the ATA is that it “achieves tissue-like functions by mimicking the microstructure of natural fabrics,” summarizes Shi.
What’s more, this material not only mimics the tissues of the tunica albuginea, but “can be extended to many other load-bearing tissues,” he says.
promising development
Shi’s team is studying the production of biomaterials to treat male reproductive health problems, such as erectile dysfunction, infertility and Peyronie’s disease, a disorder believed to occur as a result of injuries resulting from sexual intercourse.
About half of men between the ages of 40 and 70 have some form of erectile dysfunction, and about 5% suffer from it Peyronie’s diseasewhere scar tissue forms in the tunica albuginea.
“We realized that this is an area that has received little attention, even though the need is great,” Shi says.
Although doctors can treat patients with damaged tunica albuginea tissue by making patches from other tissues in the patient’s body combined with the extracellular matrix, these patches have drawbacks.
To replace them, Shi and his colleagues developed a polyvinyl alcohol-based ATA, which has a crimped fiber structure similar to that of natural fabric.
Although synthetic, the material has biomechanical properties that mimic those of the tunica albuginea.
The researchers conducted laboratory experiments to study the tissue’s toxicity and its compatibility with blood, as it is designed to stay in the body for a long time, and determined that it shouldn’t be harmful to other tissues.
They then tested ATA in Bama minipigs with tunica albuginea lesions and found that the patches made from the artificial tissue restored erectile function similar to that of normal penile tissue, suggesting that the patch successfully replaced the tissue function. natural.
The researchers examined the effect of the ATA patches after one month and found that although the artificial tissue did not restore the microstructure of the surrounding natural tissue, it developed fibrosis comparable to that of normal tissue and achieved a normal erection after injection. saline solution on the penis.
The team also plans to study techniques for repairing other tissues, such as the heart and bladder.
EFE extension
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.