An Improved Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A 3D In Vitro Model under Static and Mechanical Loading Conditions.

The suboptimal outcomes of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery illustrate the demand for improved therapies. However, their development is hampered by the limited knowledge on the cellular pathophysiology of POP. Current investigations, that are limited to tissues and 2D in vitro models, provide highly inconclusive results on how the extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism and fibroblasts are affected in POP.

Injectable polyisocyanide hydrogel as healing supplement for connective tissue regeneration in an abdominal wound model.

In pelvic organ prolapse (POP) patients, the uterus, bladder and/or rectum descends into vagina due to weakened support tissues. High recurrence rates after POP surgery suggest an urgent need for improved surgical outcomes. Our aim is to promote connective tissue healing that results in stimulated tissue support functions by surgically applying a hydrogel functionalized with biological cues.

Vaginal Fibroblast Behavior as a Function of Stiffness Changes in a Polyisocyanide Hydrogel for Prolapse Repair.

There is an urgent need for improved outcomes in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Success of primary surgery relies on the load bearing capacity of plicated connective tissue underneath the vaginal wall, which is compromised due to an altered vaginal fibroblast function and collagen composition. There is an important factor in connective tissue repair that relates to changes in stiffness of the vaginal fibroblast microenvironment, which influences cell activity through cellular mechanosensing.

Growth Factor Immobilization to Synthetic Hydrogels: Bioactive bFGF-Functionalized Polyisocyanide Hydrogels.

With its involvement in cell proliferation, migration and differentiation basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has great potential for tissue engineering purposes. So far, however, clinical translation of soluble bFGF-based therapies is unsuccessful, because the required effective doses are often supraphysiological, which may cause adverse effects. An effective solution is growth factor immobilization, whereby bFGF retains its bioactivity at increased efficacy.

The Effect of Growth Factors on Vaginal Wound Healing: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Surgical outcomes of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery are poor, resulting in a 20% recurrence risk. Following the hypothesis that impaired wound healing is the main determinant of recurrent POP, growth factors have the potential to promote wound healing and may improve surgical outcomes. In this study, we systematically reviewed the effect of growth factors on vaginal wound healing in both and animal studies.

Polyisocyanides as a substrate to trigger vaginal fibroblast functioning in an in vitro model for prolapse repair.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is the descent of the bladder, uterus, and/or rectum into the vagina. POP is associated with altered vaginal fibroblast functionality and connective tissue composition in the vaginal wall. The results of surgical intervention are poor, which may be related to the lack of true restoration of the connective tissue.

Gel Casting as an Approach for Tissue Engineering of Multilayered Tubular Structures.

Several urological structures, such as the male urethra, have a tubular organization consisting of different layers. However, in severe urethral disease, urologists are limited to replacing solely the epithelial layer. In case of severe hypospadias and urethral stricture disease, the underlying supporting structure (the corpus spongiosum) is either absent or fibrotic, causing suboptimal vascularization and therefore increasing the risk of graft failure.