Urinary incontinence afflicts over 13 million Americans, some of whom receive collagen injections to add bulk to the bladder sphincter. Unfortunately, the injected collagen can sometimes cause an immune reaction.
At the McGowan Institute, researchers have designed a rejection-free alternative treatment using a patient's own stem cells from muscle.
During treatment, doctors:
The stem cells persist in the bladder for up to six months. They grow to become the same sort of muscle that makes up the bladder sphincter, improving its strength.
This McGowan Institute-developed stem cell therapy, licensed by Cook MyoSite, Inc., is now in a clinical trial to treat stress-induced urinary incontinence.
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
450 Technology Drive
Suite 300
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Read information on campus shuttles.
Phone: 412-624-5500
Fax: 412-624-5363
Email: McGowan@pitt.edu