Background
Stem cell therapy (SCT) is used for regeneration of injured tissues. This seems a novel promising strategy for restoring urethral sphincter function in patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Objective
To summarize the clinical trials available to date on SCT for treatment of SUI in women.
Search strategy
PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Embase.
Selection criteria
Prospective interventional case series, randomized prospective interventional study and prospective cohort study assessing women aged 18 years and over diagnosed with SUI and treated by SCT were included. The quality of studies was finally assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists according to the PRISMA guidelines.
Data collection and analysis
Nineteen studies (n = 773 patients) were selected for final analysis. These were conducted worldwide between the years 2005 and 2016. Although different cell types were used, general processing steps were similar. The follow‐up period ranged between 6 weeks and 6 years and included common subjective and objective evaluation tools.
Results
Overall, the studies imply that SCT for treatment of SUI is a safe and effective treatment.
Conclusion
In our opinion, the initial results of SCT for the treatment of SUI seem promising. Standardization and validation of this treatment modality is required before it can be recommended for routine use.
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