Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Bladder Dysfunction

Human urological diseases, such as bladder outlet obstruction, overactive bladder, and neurogenic bladder, are caused by inappropriate muscular activity in the muscles of the bladder wall. These muscles often cannot be controlled in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), diabetes, or dementia. Stem cell therapy for the bladder has generally been directed to areas of bladder dysfunction, and the therapeutic efficacy of stem cells is thought to be derived from their ability to differentiate into various cell types. However, stem cell therapy for bladder dysfunction has been limited to laboratory experiments, with less emphasis on the potential of stem cell therapy to contribute to bladder regeneration. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs), bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), and muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) have been used for transplantation to treat bladder dysfunction; reconstitution of restoration of bladder dysfunction is achieved through effects on migration, differentiation, and paracrine signaling. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of stem cells and their potential applications in human urological diseases.