Update on tissue engineering in pediatric urology

Pediatric urology patients often present with congenital or acquired tissue and organ dysfunction that requires surgical reconstruction to recreate the normal genitourinary systems functions. The traditional methods have varying degrees of donor site morbidity or inherent side effects. Tissue engineering is a developing field that aims to replace or regenerate these dysfunctional tissues and organs with cells, biomaterials, or a combination thereof. A tremendous amount of work has been done to these ends in terms of preclinical work, and some clinical trials have resulted. This review highlights the status of these studies in pediatric urology for the use of tissue engineering and reconstruction of the corporal bodies, urethra, and bladder.