Artificial urinary bladder

The two main methods for replacing bladder function involve either redirecting urine flow or replacing the bladder in situ.[1] Replacement can be done with an artificial urinary bladder, an artificial organ.

Development

On January 30, 1999, scientists announced that a lab-grown bladder had been successfully transplanted into dogs. These artificial bladders worked well for almost a year in the dogs. In 2000, a new procedure for creating artificial bladders for humans was developed. This procedure is called an orthotopic neobladder procedure. This procedure involves shaping a part (usually 35 to 40 inches) of a patient's small intestine to form a new bladder; however, these bladders made of intestinal tissues produced unpleasant side-effects.

In 2006, the first publication of experimental transplantation of bioengineered bladders appeared in The Lancet.[2] The trial involved seven people with spina bifida between the ages of four and nineteen who had been followed for up to five years after surgery to determine long-term effects.[2] The bladders were prepared and the trial run by a team of biologists at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Boston Children's Hospital led by Professor Anthony Atala.[2]

Benefits

Bioengineered organs which rely on a patient's own cells, autologous constructs, are not subject to transplant rejection, unlike transplants from human or animal donors.

The current standard for repairing a damaged urinary bladder involves partial or complete replacement using tissue from the small intestine.[1]

References
  1. "Treatments & Procedures", Urinary Reconstruction and Diversion, Cleveland Clinic, 2009, retrieved 2013-03-22
  2. Atala, Anthony; et al. (April 4, 2006), "Tissue-engineered autologous bladders for patients needing cystoplasty", The Lancet (published April 15, 2006), 367 (9518): 1241–1246, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68438-9, PMID 16631879, retrieved 2013-03-22, lay summary – The Lancet (2006-04-06)(subscription required)
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