A systematic review of stem cell therapy treatment for women suffering from stress urinary incontinence

Background: Stem cell therapy (SCT) is used for regeneration of injured tissues. This seems a novel promising strategy for restoring urethral sphincter function in patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Objective: To summarize the clinical trials available to date on SCT for treatment of SUI in women. Search strategy: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Embase. Selection criteria: Prospective interventional case series, randomized prospective interventional study and prospective cohort study assessing women aged 18 years and over diagnosed with SUI and treated by SCT were included. The quality of studies was finally assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists according to the PRISMA guidelines. Data collection and analysis: Nineteen studies (n = 773 patients) were selected for final analysis. These were conducted worldwide between the years 2005 and 2016. Although different cell types were used, general processing steps were similar. The follow-up period ranged between 6 weeks and 6 years and included common subjective and objective evaluation tools. Results: Overall, the studies imply that SCT for treatment of SUI is a safe and effective treatment. Conclusion: In our opinion, the initial results of SCT for the treatment of SUI seem promising. Standardization and validation of this treatment modality is required before it can be recommended for routine use.