Injection of stem cells to give men’s sex lives a lift

Stem cell treatment could be used to help men with erectile dysfunction, where they cannot achieve an erection strong enough to allow intercourse.

Stem cells are 'master cells' that can develop into other cell types in the body.

In a recent study, ten men with erectile dysfunction (ED), who had not responded to maximum doses of Viagra and similar medications, received a single injection of their own stem cells into their penile tissue.

Six months later, all men showed some improvement and more than half were able to have intercourse.

ED – or impotence – affects half of all men over 40 to some extent, according to the NHS.

An erection occurs when the brain sends messages to the penis via nerves, instructing the muscles in the penile tissue to relax, allowing blood to flow in; it then becomes trapped under high pressure by a series of valves, causing an erection.

Common causes of ED include a narrowing of the blood vessels supplying the penis, usually associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. It is also linked to psychological problems, including anxiety, depression and relationship problems.

Treatments include the Viagra (or sildenafil) family of drugs that work by increasing blood flow to the penis.

But up to 30 percent of men do not respond to these medications, which also carry the risk of side effects such as headaches and nausea.

Other options include devices such as pumps, which are placed over the penis and then inflated, creating a vacuum that draws blood into the penile tissue.

Stem cells are being explored as another longer-term option.

For the new study, reported in the Archives of Italian Urology and Andrology, doctors extracted stem cells from the bone marrow – a jelly-like substance found in the bones – of the men, who were between 40 and 75 years old and had type 2 diabetes .

Under local anesthesia, 10 ml of bone marrow was removed from each man using a thin needle.

Medical macro 3D illustration of a stem cell injection. Needle delivers biological material through a membrane into a cell (file image)

The sample, taken from the top of the hip, was processed to extract the stem cells which were then treated in the laboratory to encourage them to multiply, and then injected into the penile tissue – again under local anesthesia in a day procedure.

The men had ultrasound scans of the surrounding blood vessels before and after the procedure. After six months, all patients showed improved blood flow to the penis and 40 percent were able to have intercourse without assistance and another 20 percent were able to have intercourse after taking Viagra.

One theory is that the stem cells multiplied over the six months and repaired damaged blood, nerve, or muscle cells that may have caused the impotence.

Doctors from Benha University in Egypt, who led the pilot study, said further studies are now needed to confirm the mechanisms involved.

Commenting on the study, Professor Raj Persad, consultant urologist at Bristol Urology, emphasized that the study is small.

“The results look very encouraging, but there is also always a placebo response with any treatment like this,” he said.