Stem cell therapy: a future treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

The main urinary continence mechanism in human is the striated muscle rhabdosphincter that forms a ring around the mid-urethra. Cellular therapy and the use of stem cells transplanted into the site of the rhabdosphincter in a setting of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) may augment sphincter regeneration. Implanted cells may also release trophic factors promoting muscle and nerve integration into this muscle. We review the use of cellular therapy for SUI and our experience with the development of muscle-derived stem cells.