Recent advances in stem cell technologies have provided a new possibility of treatment for Peyronie’s disease, and it works.
Peyronie’s disease is a disorder in which scar tissue, called plaque, forms under the skin of the penis — the male organ used for urination and sex.
The plaque builds up inside the penis, in the thick elastic membrane called the tunica albuginea. The tunica albuginea helps keep the penis stiff during an erection. The plaque can develop anywhere along the penis.
As it develops, the plaque pulls on the surrounding tissues and causes the penis to curve or bend, usually during an erection. Curves in the penis can make erections painful and may make sexual intercourse painful, difficult, or impossible.
The plaque that develops in Peyronie’s disease:
- is caused by injury to your penis or by an autoimmune disease;
- is not the same plaque that can develop in a person’s arteries;
- is benign — not cancerous and not a tumor.
How common is Peyronie’s disease?
Approximately 1 in 100 men in the United States over the age of 18 have been diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease. However, based on studies of men who reported having symptoms of Peyronie’s disease, researchers estimate that the actual number of men who have Peyronie’s disease is more than 1 in 10.
The chance of developing Peyronie’s disease increases with age. It is less common for men in their 20s and 30s to have Peyronie’s disease.
Who is more likely to have Peyronie’s disease?
You may be at higher risk of developing Peyronie’s disease if you:
- engage in vigorous sexual or nonsexual activities that cause micro-injuries to the penis;
- have certain connective tissue and autoimmune disorders;
- have a family history of Peyronie’s disease;
- are older;
- have diabetes and erectile dysfunction;
- have a history of prostate cancer treatment with surgery.
Vigorous sexual and nonsexual activities
Men whose sexual or nonsexual activities (such as sports) cause micro-injuries to the penis are more likely to develop Peyronie’s disease.
Connective tissue and autoimmune disorders
If you have certain connective tissue or autoimmune disorders, you may have a higher chance of developing Peyronie’s disease.
Connective tissue is a specialized tissue that supports, joins, or separates different types of tissues and organs in your body. Connective tissue disorders may affect your joints, muscles, and skin. Some disorders associated with Peyronie’s disease include:
- Dupuytren’s disease, also known as Dupuytren’s contracture. In this condition, the connective tissue in the palms of the hands shortens and thickens. This results in the permanent bending of the outer fingers. It is not clear why men with Peyronie’s disease are more likely to develop Dupuytren’s disease.
- Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot that creates the arch of the foot.
- Scleroderma is the abnormal growth of thick, hard patches of connective tissue. Scleroderma can also cause swelling or pain in muscles and joints.
In autoimmune disorders, the body’s immune system attacks the body’s own cells and organs. Autoimmune disorders associated with Peyronie’s disease include:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus causes inflammation and damage to various body tissues including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain
- Sjögren’s syndrome causes inflammation and damage to the glands that make tears and saliva
- Behçet’s disease causes inflammation of the blood vessels
Family history of Peyronie’s disease
Medical experts believe that Peyronie’s disease may run in some families. For example, if your father or brother has Peyronie’s disease, you may have an increased chance of getting the disease too.
Aging
Your chance of getting Peyronie’s disease increases with age. Age-related changes in the tissues in the penis may cause it to be more easily injured and less likely to heal well.
Diabetes with erectile dysfunction
Men with diabetes-associated ED have a 4 to 5 times higher chance of developing Peyronie’s disease compared with the general population.
Prostate cancer treatment with surgery
Your chance of getting Peyronie’s disease increases after surgery for prostate cancer. Medical experts believe this is related to ED developed after surgery for prostate cancer.
What are the complications of Peyronie’s disease?
Complications of Peyronie’s disease may include:
- the inability to have sexual intercourse due to penile curvature;
- ED;
- emotional distress, depression, or anxiety about sexual abilities or the appearance of the penis;
- stress in a relationship with a sexual partner;
- problems fathering a child because intercourse is difficult.
Stem Cell Therapy for Peyronie’s Disease
Recent advances in stem cell technologies have provided a new possibility of treatment for Peyronie’s disease. Stem cells can be derived from a variety of different sources, but all share the common feature of being able to differentiate into multiple different kinds of cells.
During the process of differentiation, stem cells also produce a variety of chemicals and growth factors that promote the growth and repair of a variety of damaged tissues. The stem cells also produce chemicals that regulate the body’s immune response, which can reduce inflammation and some of the other negative side effects related to an over-active immune response.
With Peyronie’s disease, in particular, the relevant chemicals secreted by the stem cells during the differentiation process are those that reduce the production of structural proteins that contribute to the formation of the fibrous plaques.
Since the cause of Peyronie’s disease is unknown it is difficult to say for certain exactly what it is about the stem cells that is leading to treatment of the disease, or to what extent the treatment would be successful during the chronic phase of the disease.
In any event, stem cell treatments are known to be safe and relatively non-invasive. Wharton’s Jelly stem cells have been shown to be the best type of stem cell and are widely used for many therapies. They pose little to no risk of rejection by the body and the entire procedure can be undertaken with only a few injections, which is much less invasive than the kinds of surgeries that would be normally used for treating Peyronie’s disease.
Studies Examining Stem Cell Therapy for Peyronie’s Disease
There have been a variety of studies investigating the effectiveness of a number of stem cell treatments for the disease.
A key first step in developing stem cell therapies for this disease was carried out in the early 2010s when scientists investigated the use of stem cell injections to treat Peyronie’s disease induced in rats. The stem cells used were taken from the rats in the study and re-injected into the damaged areas to investigate the effectiveness of stem cell treatments both for prevention of the progression of the disease, as well as for treating patients in the chronic phase. A paper discussing multiple different treatment methods shows the results of the use of stem cell treatments.
These studies focused on results based on improving the ability of the penis to become erect. In this area, they showed great success, with rats who received stem cell-based treatments seeing improved erectile function compared to rats who did not receive the same treatment.
While this is extremely encouraging and potentially presents a treatment path for human sufferers of Peyronie’s disease, it was also observed that none of the trials demonstrated a decrease in the size of plaques found in patients. At this stage then, the treatment seems like a good option for improving the function of the penis, or limiting the progression of the disease, but is unlikely to provide a full cure.
Another study carried out in 2015 investigated the use of stem cell-based treatments for human patients suffering from Peyronie’s disease. Rather than using stem cells derived from the patient’s own tissues, this study used stem cells obtained from placentas. This form of stem cell has a greater ability to differentiate when compared to adult stem cells and is likely to be able to produce more growth factors as well.
The study investigated changes to the volume of plaques found within the penis, as well as the degree of curvature and erectile function at intervals of 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The results showed improvements in some aspects of erectile function, as well as a reduction of size or entire disappearances of some of the plaques being treated. This is highly encouraging for the possibility of improved treatments in the future.
Another form of regenerative medicine, PRP therapy has also shown some promise in treating the disease. Please read more about PRP and its combination with stem cells here.
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