[Acellular matrix for functional reconstruction of the urogenital tract. Special form of "tissue engineering"?]

Organ substitution and reconstruction of the urogenital system still poses a problem regarding an adequate substitute. Usually non-organ-specific materials are used for reconstruction (bowl, buccal mucosa). This nonspecific tissue can cause side effects that result from the origin and the natural function. Different groups have shown that an acellular matrix graft in the urinary bladder and the urethra served as a scaffold for complete regeneration of all organ wall components and that this organ-specific regeneration simultaneously facilitates functional restitution. New approaches will presumably effect better regeneration after seeding the matrix with organ-specific cells (i.e., urothelial cells). Smaller studies on genital reconstructive surgery could show that vaginal substitution with an acellular matrix might be possible or that there could be a possible substitute for the tunica during surgical treatment of Peyronie's disease.