Autologous oral mucosa graft (MukoCell®)

Diseased or malformed urethral tissue can be replaced by a laboratory-grown tissue graft from oral mucosa (MukoCell®). In autologous (also autogenous) transplantation of tissue replacement, the donor and recipient are one and the same person. The advantage of such an autologous graft with the patient’s own cells is that it is not rejected by the patient’s immune system.

Advantages for urological therapy

The use of laboratory-grown grafts from cells of the oral mucosa (MukoCell®) in the treatment of urethral stenosis offers significant advantages. There is no need to remove large areas of oral mucosa. This avoids all possible complications associated with the removal of oral mucosa from the patient’s cheek. In addition, the use of an autologous cell graft shortens the surgical time and therefore the anesthesia time. Other advantages of a graft made from the patient’s own oral mucosa cells are its resistance to urine, mechanical stability, and good adaptability in size and shape. After transplantation, it develops into a fully functional urethral tissue. Currently, the autologous cell transplant (MukoCell®) is used in specialized clinics in Germany for the treatment of urethral stenosis (urethral stricture).

Tissue Engineering

The autologous cell transplant from cells of the oral mucosa (MukoCell®) is the first tissue replacement from the field of tissue engineering in urology. Tissue engineering is the artificial production of biological tissue through the cultivation of cells. The tissue replaces or regenerates the diseased tissue in a patient. For this purpose, cells are usually taken from the patient and propagated in a clean room laboratory. Depending on the type of cell, these can be cultivated on so-called carrier substances (structural scaffold). Tissue engineering products belong to the group of advanced therapy medicinal products and are one of the application examples for regenerative and personalized medicine.