Stem Cell Therapy in Bladder Dysfunction: Where Are We? And Where Do We Have to Go?

Stem cell therapy for bladder dysfunction has primarily been studied experimentally. The original belief was that stem cells' therapeutic effect came from their ability to transform into various cell types. However, stem cell research in this area is less extensive compared to bladder regeneration studies. Stem cells can help restore bladder function through migration, differentiation, and paracrine effects. Migration involves stem cells moving to the bladder to improve blood flow and reduce tissue hypoxia. Differentiation is when stem cells transform into bladder smooth muscle cells. Paracrine effects involve stem cells releasing cytokines and growth factors that reduce inflammation and stimulate tissue regeneration. These factors also recruit host cells to aid in the repair process.

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  MSCs augment healing through cell replacement, stimulation of cell proliferation, and angiogenesis, although data on bladder dysfunction repair is scarce compared to other tissues.
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  Stem cell transplantation regulates post-injury bladder remodeling, potentially via a paracrine mechanism, rather than direct smooth muscle cell regeneration.
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  Urinary tract-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are more efficient than skin-derived iPSCs in bladder differentiation, highlighting the importance of organ-specific iPSCs for tissue-specific studies.