Acellular Graft for Bladder or Ureter Regeneration

University of California System: University of California, San Francisco
posted on 09/30/2008

• request more info 
•   
•  LICENSE ONLINE

An acellular matrix graft to repair damaged ureter, urethra or bladder using has been developed by UCSF inventors. It can be derived from the ureter, urethra or bladder of human, pig, dog, hamster, or rabbit. The graft tissue consists of a framework of collagen and elastic fibers that is free of cell contents. It is impermeable to urine. Once surgically placed in the recipient, urothelium and smooth muscle cells from neighboring tissues can regenerate onto the graft. Preliminary animal studies have been completed.

Background
Bladder augmentation or replacement is often necessary for the hundreds of thousands of patients whose bladders have been damaged by cancer, trauma, infections, or birth defects. Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the US, with an estimated 69,000 new cases in 2008 (SEER database).

Gastrointestinal tissue, often from the ileum or ascending colon, is currently the gold standard substitute tissue for bladder repair or replacement. However, as intestinal tissues are designed to absorb liquid and digestive products, they are poor reservoirs for urine. Use of intestinal tissues often results in complications including infection, metabolic abnormalities from absorption of urine, stone formation, perforation, increased mucous production, and cancer. Therefore, improved materials for augmentation or replacement of the bladder are needed.