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CWRU researchers develop new treatment for stress urinary incontinence

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center recently published an article on a potential novel treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), a condition that is estimated to affect 40 percent of childbearing women. The article, titled “Stromal derived factor-1 plasmid as a novel injection for treatment of stress urinary incontinence in a rat model,” was published in International Urogynecology Journal.

About the treatment

The treatment, a new kind of urethral injectable material, may offer an acceptable option for young women because of the low risk of complications. Existing injectable therapies are either pharmacologic or cell-based, and their efficacy and utility have been limited. This study aimed to assess the effect of plasmid delivery to express stromal derived factor-1 as a periurethral injection.

The researchers involved with the project are:

  • Ahmad O. Khalifa, Department of Urology;
  • Michael Kavran, departments of urology and radiology;
  • Amr Mahran, Department of Urology;
  • Ilaha Isali, Department of Urology;
  • Adonis K. Hijaz, Department of Urology;
  • Chris A. Flask, departments of radiology, pediatrics and biomedical engineering;
  • Marc S. Penn, Summa Health Heart and Vascular Institute; and
  • Juliana Woda, Juventus Therapeutics.

Read the article through the Springer website.