Review
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World J Clin Urol. Nov 24, 2014; 3(3): 272-282
Published online Nov 24, 2014. doi: 10.5410/wjcu.v3.i3.272
Stem cell therapy for erectile dysfunction
Etsu Suzuki, Hiroaki Nishimatsu, Yukio Homma
Etsu Suzuki, Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8512, Japan
Hiroaki Nishimatsu, Yukio Homma, The Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan
Author contributions: Suzuki E, Nishimatsu H and Homma Y contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Etsu Suzuki, MD, PhD, Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8512, Japan. esuzuki-tky@umin.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-044-9778361 Fax: +81-044-9778361
Received: April 1, 2014
Revised: May 3, 2014
Accepted: October 1, 2014
Published online: November 24, 2014
Processing time: 232 Days and 1.1 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Adult stem cells (ASCs) have been used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Although previous studies reported that ASCs differentiated into cells that originally resided in the cavernous body, recent studies indicate that the major, if not all, effects of ASCs on erectile function are achieved through the secretion of paracrine factors rather than their direct differentiation into the cells in the cavernous body. Among various cytokines that ASCs produce, we have recently identified adrenomedullin as a candidate peptide that is implicated in the restoration of erectile function. We introduced these data in this review.