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Development of an Ex Vivo Platform to Model Urethral Healing
Christopher Foster1, Ryan Tran2, Khushi Grover3
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA.
Methods and Protocols
|August 27, 2025
Summary
A novel ex vivo rabbit urethral model demonstrates that Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) significantly enhances early urethral wound healing and epithelization.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Urology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Urethral strictures affect millions, leading to substantial morbidity and healthcare expenses.
- Current limitations in testing new urethral healing interventions stem from the absence of cost-effective models.
- An ex vivo model using explanted rabbit urethral tissue was developed to study early urethral wound healing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish an inexpensive ex vivo model for investigating urethral wound healing.
- To evaluate the impact of six growth factors (GFs) on early urethral wound healing.
- To assess the efficacy of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) in promoting urethral healing.
Main Methods:
- Rabbit urethral tissue was detubularized, flattened on a 3D-printed platform, and intentionally wounded.
- Tissue specimens were cultured in media with varying concentrations of growth factors (100 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL).
- Wound contraction was quantified over 96 hours by blinded reviewers using image analysis.
Main Results:
- Specimens treated with IGF-1 at 100 ng/mL exhibited statistically significant wound contraction compared to controls.
- IGF-1 demonstrated a positive effect on early urethral epithelization.
- The findings suggest IGF-1 can potentially improve urethral healing processes.
Conclusions:
- The developed protocol offers a straightforward explant platform for studying urethral healing.
- This model can be utilized to investigate methods for enhancing early urethral healing phases.
- The platform is also suitable for exploring other aspects of urethral health, such as drug delivery, infection, and mechanical properties.
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