3D-printed tissue restores erectile function and aids reproduction in animal study

Erectile dysfunction affects over 40% of men over 40, yet our understanding of the condition remains limited. Research on this issue has mostly relied on real organs, making it difficult to study the detailed interaction between blood flow and tissue during an erection.

In a recent study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, a team of scientists from China, Japan and the U.S. presented a 3D printed hydrogel-based penile model complete with essential blood vessels to mimic the natural function of a penis.

Once implanted into rabbits and pigs with penile deformities, the bioengineered organ enabled them to mate and reproduce within weeks.

Apart from transporting oxygen and essential nutrients throughout the body, the vascular system also plays a crucial role in penile erection. This is especially true of the corpora cavernosa with its numerous cavernous spaces, with the cavernous artery running through the center of the penis.

During an erection, these spaces get filled with blood and press against nearby veins that block the blood from flowing out, causing the penis to swell and stay firm. Damage to this intricate system of vessels can lead to erectile dysfunction (difficulty achieving an erection) and Peyronie’s disease (penile curvature and deformation).

Scientists created a detailed penile system which included the glans (tip of the penis), corpus spongiosum (the tissue surrounding the urethra) with urethral structures and an implantable model of the corpus cavernosum, the sponge-like vascular tissue responsible for erections. This biomimetic corpus cavernosum (BCC) model helped them visualize how different structures and fluids interact during both normal and dysfunctional erections.

The study also explored repairing penile tissue damage in rabbits and pigs. The process began with introducing endothelial cells (lining of blood vessels) derived from the corpus cavernosum of said animals in the BCC model. After 14 days of in-vitro culture, the implantable 3D-printed organ was ready with a fused endothelial layer.

Within a few weeks of implantation, the BCC model helped the animals regain normal erectile function both spontaneously and in response to electrical stimulation, allowing them to mate and reproduce successfully.

These results open exciting possibilities for treating penile tissue damage and even making penis transplants a reality using the 3D-printed BCC model. The researchers also believe that the findings of this study will support the further development of 3D-printed blood-vessel-rich functional organs for transplantation.

However, the researchers acknowledged that while their model successfully restored penile function in cases of partial dysfunction, regeneration and repair of large-scale penile injuries is still a work in progress.

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