Men sought for study potentially treating stress urinary incontinence using their own muscle cells

Patient’s cells may control urinary leakage after prostate cancer surgery

Newswise, September 16, 2015 — Beaumont Hospital – Royal Oak urologists are studying the safety and potential effectiveness of a treatment for male stress urinary incontinence, using a man’s own muscle cells.

After prostate surgery, many men experience leakage of urine, a condition called urinary incontinence. The leaks are a result of weakened muscles that control urine flow.

The goal of the study is to strengthen the muscles controlling urination and control leakage after prostate cancer surgery. Beaumont researchers recently enrolled their first patient in the study and are seeking 19 more men, ages 18 or older to participate.

Principal investigator, Kenneth Peters, M.D., chief, Urology, Beaumont – Royal Oak explains, “It’s a novel approach, using a person’s own leg muscle cells in an effort to control the leakage of urine. This could improve quality of life and self-esteem issues.”

Stress urinary incontinence – leaking with coughing, laughing, sneezing or physical activity – affects about 13 million Americans.

Current treatments, including medicine, exercise and surgery, are not always effective and may have undesirable side effects. Some men wear pads because of involuntary leakage of urine.

Researchers will collect a small sample of muscle cells from the leg of each participant and send them to a lab for duplication. The returned cells will then be injected into the sphincter, a muscle that controls urination.

Says Dr. Peters, “We are hopeful the injected cells create more robust muscle - a stronger sphincter to hold the urine in. If successful, muscle-derived cell therapy could offer new hope to people looking to live a life free of urinary leakage.”

Benefits of this potential treatment for stress incontinence include:
• Muscle-derived cells belong to the patient
• Nonsurgical procedure
• Office-based procedure

To learn more about participant eligibility and study criteria, contact Beaumont Urology Research, at 248-551-3355 orcory.nichols@beaumont.org.

Along with Beaumont – Royal Oak, the only other participating study site is in Nashville, Tennessee at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The study is sponsored by Cook MyoSite Inc., part of Cook Medical. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02291432.

Michael Chancellor, M.D., a Beaumont urologist working on this study, was one of the inventors of this muscle-derived cell process. Dr. Chancellor receives royalty payments for the muscle-derived cell process and payments for consulting from Cook MyoSite, the sponsor of the study.

Urology Services at Beaumont

Beaumont urologists offer endoscopic, robotic and laparoscopic surgical options as well as traditional surgeries. They also specialize in treatment for kidney stones; painful bladder conditions such as overactive bladder and incontinence; sexual dysfunction; urologic cancer; prostate conditions; male infertility; voiding dysfunction; and erectile dysfunction. 

In 2010, Beaumont opened a Women’s Urology Center, the first center in the Midwest dedicated and designed for women’s urological care and sexual dysfunction. Beaumont – Royal Oak recently received a “high-performing” regional ranking in Urology on the U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list. Find out more at http://www.beaumont.edu/urology/