Evaluation of the efficacy of stem cell therapy in erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: a comprehensive systematic review

Abstract

Around 68% patients undergoing radical prostatectomy face postoperative erectile dysfunction. This systematic review aims to investigate the studies pertaining to efficacy of stem cell therapy in alleviating erectile dysfunction (ED) of radical prostatectomy (RP) patients. Furthermore, it provides evidence-based potential benefits of stem cell therapy in addressing erectile dysfunction of those patients. A systematic literature search from PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct and clinicaltrial.gov databases was conducted for the clinical trials evaluating efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy in post-prostatectomy erectile dysfunction. The inclusion criteria pertained to the studies reporting pre- and post-outcome erectile function and safety results. Cochrane Robins I was employed for the quality and bias risk. Four studies were finally included. The studies were of high quality as revealed from the quality assessment results. They were the non-randomized human-based clinical trials. Patients follow-up ranged from 3 to 12 months. Intercourse satisfaction scores were improved after 6 and 12 months of stem cell therapy. No serious adversities were reported during and after the study period. It was thus a safe therapeutic option as per these results. This study evaluated the role of stem cell therapy in post-RP ED. The included studies depicted its efficacy and safety. The information on stem cell therapy for ED was limited, however it could provide foundation for future research. Large-scale human studies with robust research designs would bring more objectivity and conclusive evidence.

Keywords

• post-prostatectomy
• erectile dysfunction
• stem-cell therapy