Stem Cell Therapy Accuracy

A number of animal studies tested the administration of various stem cell types, including adipose stem cells, reporting improvement in erectile response after cavernous nerve injury, during aging, and in the presence of conditions such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia.

Clinical studies were performed with umbilical mesenchymal stem cells, bone marrow-derived stem cells, adult placental-matrix-derived stem cells, and adipose stem cells. Significant improvements in erectile function were observed in all cases.

All but 1 individual with diabetes-associated erectile dysfunction treated with umbilical mesenchymal stem cells reported increased desire, 3 out of 7 regained morning erections in 1 month, 2 regained erection successful for intercourse in conjunction with oral medication for 6 months.

9 out of 12 men with erectile dysfunction following radical prostatectomy treated with bone marrow-derived stem cells in combination with oral medications reported significant improvement, with increased dosages associated with greater incidence of spontaneous erections and no serious adverse events.

Adult placental-matrix-derived stem cell injection, combined with oral medications, allowed erection for successful intercourse in 5 out of 8 men treated – 2 at 2 months, and 3 at 3 months – with no reported adverse events. Moreover, placental-matrix-derived stem cells seem help preventing the acute, inflammatory phase of Peyronie’s disease, a disorder in which the formation of scar tissue leads to curving or bending of the male organ, causing painful erections; 3 months after stem cells injection, 70% of the scarring managed entirely disappeared.

Safety and efficacy of adipose stem cell-based therapy was evaluated in a study that involved 17 men with a history of prostatectomy. The only adverse events reported were minor problems related to liposuction (5 cases), injection site redness or swelling (2 cases), and hematoma (1 case). 8 men achieved an erection successful for intercourse without the need for oral medications. In another study in which adipose stem cells were used to treat prostatectomy-derived erectile dysfunction, 8 out of 15 patients reported erection successful for intercourse at 12 months, and stem cell injection appeared safe.