Abstract:

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common pelvic floor dysfunction characterized by involuntary urine leakage due to increased abdominal pressure, predominantly affecting women. Traditional conservative treatments and surgical interventions have limitations, including suboptimal efficacy, invasiveness, and high recurrence rates. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC), possessing multipotent differentiation capacity, immunomodulatory properties, and the ability to secrete various bioactive factors via paracrine signaling, has shown potential application value in tissue repair and regeneration. Currently, MSC has been isolated from various tissues such as bone marrow, adipose tissue, muscle, and umbilical cord. Studies in animal models and preliminary clinical trials have demonstrated that periurethral implantation of MSC can improve urethral sphincter function, increase leak point pressure, and promote tissue repair. This review systematically elaborates on the pathogenesis of SUI, the biological characteristics of MSC from different sources, and the latest experimental and clinical advancements in MSC-based therapy for SUI. It also discusses the safety profile of MSC therapy, existing challenges, and provides perspectives on future research directions, including the optimization of transplantation strategies and conducting large-sample clinical trials.

Key words: Stress urinary incontinence, Mesenchymal stem cell, Animal experimentation, Clinical trial, Therapy