Synthetic tissue restores erections in pigs with penis injuries

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Researchers have developed artificial tissue that enabled pigs with penis injuries to have an erection. The work may lead to new treatments for erectile dysfunction

Health 4 January 2023

By Sara Novak

Artificial tissue that mimics connective tissue in the penis restored erectile function in pigs with an injured penis

Synthetic tissue restored the erectile function of pigs with injured penises. The artificial tissue mimics the tunica albuginea, a layer of connective tissue that surrounds the spongy corpora cavernosa, which fills with blood during an erection. Although promising, the researchers acknowledge that erectile dysfunction can have multiple causes, including injuries outside of the tunica albuginea.

Damage to the tunica albuginea can sometimes be repaired by taking tissue from elsewhere in the body and combining it with a network of proteins and other molecules to make a supportive tissue patch. However, the patch can be rejected by the immune system and it doesn’t always effectively mimic the tunica albuginea.

To help overcome this, Xuetao Shi at the South China University of Technology and his colleagues used isotropic polyvinyl alcohol gel to create an artificial tunica albuginea with a curled fibre structure, similar to that of the naturally occurring tissue.

The researchers first used a weighted balloon to show that the artificial tunica doesn’t bend, an indicator that it is strong enough to maintain penile stiffness.

They then tested the artificial tissue in pigs with an injured tunica albuginea. The animals’ penises became erect when the organ was injected with saline.

Up to one month later, the pigs had shown no sign of rejecting the artificial tissue.

If used in humans, the researchers hope the artificial tissue will result in a similar sensation to that of any other erection.

“The study shows that the artificial biomaterial created can adequately repair these defects with good outcomes short term,” says Anthony Atala at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, North Carolina. “The technology is promising and warrants further work so it can be safely transitioned to human patients who can benefit from this advance.”

Stress, fatigue, anxiety and an excessive alcohol intake can all contribute to erectile dysfunction. It can also occur due to damage to the corpora cavernosa or the nerves that surround the tunica albuginea.

Shi hopes that future research will lead to the development of artificial tissue that overcomes injuries to the other tissues that are involved in erections.

Journal reference: Matter, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2022.11.032