Recent advances in regenerative therapies for cavernous nerve injury-induced erectile dysfunction

Cavernous nerve injury-induced erectile dysfunction (CNIED) is a common complication of pelvic surgery such as radical prostatectomy. Regenerative medicine, capable of achieving the regeneration and repair of penile cavernous tissue through multiple mechanisms, offers diverse and promising therapeutic options for the long-term alleviation of CNIED. Here, various current regenerative therapy strategies for the treatment of CNIED are summarized, and their respective mechanisms of action, research progress, and practical challenges are described. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles published through July 2025. Keyword searches included regenerative therapies, stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, biomaterials, erectile dysfunction, and other related terms. This article primarily summarizes the current therapeutic strategies and their underlying regenerative mechanisms for CNIED, encompassing stem cell therapy, platelet-rich plasma therapy, microenergy therapy, tissue engineering and biomaterials, small-molecule drugs, and photobiomodulation. Additionally, it further elaborates on the current research progress, developmental directions, and practical challenges of each therapeutic strategy. At present, regenerative therapy still faces multiple challenges in mechanistic research, clinical translation, and standardization. In the future, deeper mechanistic research on relevant therapies and interdisciplinary collaborations to advance their clinical translation and application are needed.