EVALUATION Of A NEW THERAPEUTIC STRATEGY FOR URETHRAL SPHINCTER INSUFFICIENCY BASED ON THE INTRA-URETHRAL IMPLANTATION OF AUTOLOGOUS MYOFIBERS WITH THEIR SATELLITE CELLS

stress urinary incontinence is a frequent condition that can be caused by urethral sphincter insufficiency and results in a dramatic deterioration of the quality of life. We developed a new therapeutic strategy for stress urinary incontinence based on the implantation myofibers with their satellite cells. The principle of this procedure relies on the activation in vivo of the satellite cells present around each myofibers. Satellite cell activation is concomitant with myofiber death that occurs after their implantation. Activated satellite proliferate and fuse to form myotubes replacing the parental myofibers thus leading to the reconstitution of the muscle mass that was initially implanted. Preliminary studies in the pig showed the regenerated muscle tissue in the urethra was innervated by urethral nerves and developed tonic contractions acting like a new sphincter. This procedure does not include a phase of satellite cell amplification ex vivo, as standard methods of satellite cell transfer, and rather relies on the natural myogenic capacities of these cells. Thus, the procedure of cell transfer into the urethra is considerably simplified and can be performed in one step in the operating room.This therapeutic strategy could represent an alternative to the artificial urinary sphincter.