Bio-engineering urothelial cells for bladder tissue transplant

BACKGROUND: The past decade has seen a surge of interest in bladder tissue engineering research, with the anticipation that it will influence future urological practice by providing functional tissue substitutes to replace diseased or dysfunctional tissues. OBJECTIVE: To describe bladder tissue engineering strategies being investigated, with emphasis on urothelial cell biology and to discuss some of the challenges that must be addressed to ensure that this technique will find a niche in urological practice. METHODS: A review of published literature. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: In vitro-propagated urothelial cells have been incorporated into a number of bladder engineering strategies, including reconstructions using natural or synthetic biomaterials and cell-engineering approaches, where the urothelium is combined with reconfigured, vascularised host smooth muscle grafts. Although results and quality of reporting are mixed, the consensus is of progress being made towards bio-engineered bladders becoming a clinical reality once unresolved research and translational issues have been addressed.