With an artificial tissue, pigs with a damaged penis can get an erection again. This may lead to treatments for erectile dysfunction in humans.
Synthetic tissue can restore erectile function in pigs with injured penises. This is the conclusion of a study published in a scientific journal Matter. The work could help treat impotence in humans in the long run.
Tissue with blood
The artificial tissue mimics a layer of connective tissue that surrounds the spongy part of the penis. During an erection, this layer of tissue fills with blood.
READ ALSO
Mouth taping: dangerous nonsense or genius life hack?
Damage to the connective tissue, the white coatcan sometimes be repaired by tissue elsewhere in the body and combine it with a network of proteins and other molecules to create a kind of supporting plaster. But such a patch can be rejected by the immune system. In addition, this method also does not always effectively mimic the tunica albuginea.
To remedy this, Xuetao Shi of South China University of Technology and his colleagues used a gel to create an artificial tunica albuginea. It had a structure of curled fibers similar to the naturally occurring tissue.
Stiffness of the penis
The researchers first used a balloon to demonstrate that the artificial tunica albuginea does not bend. That is an indicator that it is strong enough to maintain penile rigidity. They then tested the artificial tissue in pigs with damaged tissue. The penises of the animals became rigid when the organ was injected with saline. Shown a month later the pigs no sign of rejection of the artificial tissue.
When used in humans, the researchers hope that the artificial tissue will give the sensation of a normal erection. “The study shows that this artificial biomaterial can repair the defects, with good short-term results,” says urologist Anthony Atala from the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in North Carolina. ‘The technology is promising. it deserves further elaboration so that it can be safely translated into human patients who can benefit from this advancement.”
Erectile Dysfunction
While the research is promising, the researchers acknowledge that their finding won’t solve every problem. Erectile dysfunction can arise in several ways. Injuries to the mimic connective tissue are just one of many causes that can be behind erectile dysfunction.
Stress, fatigue, anxiety and excessive alcohol consumption can also contribute to erectile dysfunction. They can also be the result of damage to the corpora cavernosathe spongy tissues surrounding the tunica albuginea, or damage to the nerves surrounding the tunica albuginea.
