[Treatment by stem cell therapy of erectile dysfunction of diabetic origin: State of the art]

Abstract

Purpose: Review of various publications on stem cell therapy to treat erectile dysfunction of diabetic origin.

Material and methods: Bibliographic search in PUBMED performed using the keywords cell therapy strain/erectile dysfunction associated with diabetes. Among the 51 articles obtained from the PUBMED research, we selected 16 articles for their specificity of studying erectile dysfunction (DE) related to diabetes.

Results: Different types of stem cells have been studied: adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells/bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells as well as progenitor endothelial cells. The experimental protocols are quite similar from one study to the next with nevertheless some specifications concerning the studied cells and the monitoring of the latter. Intracavernous pressure (ICP) measured after the injection of stem cells into the corpus cavernosum was always significantly higher than the control populations. The addition of certain growth factors to stem cells by gene transfection improve the efficacy of the cells. No ideal tracking markers of the cells have been identified.

Conclusion: The positive effect of the injection of stem cells on the ICP belongs to the cellular trans-differentiation effect but especially to the paracrine effects which have not yet been completely elucidated.

Keywords: Cellules souches; Diabetes; Diabète; Dysfonction érectile; Erectile dysfunction; Stem cells.