About 5% of men between the ages of 40 and 70 have been reported to have Peyronie’s disease.
This disease leads to the formation of scar tissue in the white membrane of the penis, causing a range of symptoms such as pain and affecting the erectile function of the penis.
Recently, in A new study published in the journal Matter, scientists at the South China University of Technology have developed an artificial white film (ATA).
ATA can repair genital damage and restore normal erectile function in pigs.
Previously, clinicians could combine other tissues in the patient’s body with extracellular matrix to make patches to treat damaged white membrane tissue.
However, sometimes the immune system rejects these patches or complications occur at the donor site.
The patches are difficult to replace natural tissue because the microstructure is different from natural white membranes.
This time, the research team has developed a polyvinyl alcohol-based ATA.
It has a convoluted fiber structure similar to natural tissue that mimics the biomechanical properties of white membranes.
The material must not be harmful to other tissues because it needs to stay in the body for a long time.
Researchers have also experimentally demonstrated the biocompatibility of ATA.
Next, the researchers tested ATA on parmesan pigs with white membrane damage.
As a result, it was found that the erectile function of the pigs was restored, similar to that of normal penile tissue, indicating that ATA successfully replaced the function of natural tissue.
After a month, scientists analyzed the effects of the ATA patch again and found that the artificial tissue could not restore the microstructure of the surrounding natural tissue though.
However, after the injection of saline into the pig penis, these tissues undergo fibrosis comparable to normal tissue and help the pig achieve a normal erection.
The results of this research are expected to be used to repair penile damage in humans.
