Stem cells used to treat incontinence

May 22, 2007

Doctors on Monday described a new way to treat urinary incontinence, an increasingly common problem that afflicts up to half of older women.

Instead of traditional surgery, scientists are exploring tissue engineering — using patients’ own stem cells to grow cells or tissue that is transplanted back into their bodies. Experts say they’ve made impressive progress recently. Last year, doctors in The Lancet described engineering bladders for spina bifida patients. (USA Today)