According to a new study, researchers successful in their attempts to grow new penile tissue in the lab; have implanted it, thereby restoring sexual function in rabbits who penises have been damaged. And while, human application may take time, it is possible researchers say that one day the technique could be used in treating men with severe erectile dysfunction.

Study author Dr. Anthony Atala believes being able to integrate tissue and make it function in the long term means, it is time to begin planning clinical applications in humans, so that a way can be found to treat patients with many conditions, including those that do not benefit from drug treatments like congenital abnormalities of the penis, traumatic injuries, penile cancer and severe cases of erectile dysfunction.

The study has been published in the 9th November online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Undoubtedly, a highly complex organ, the penis is made of nerves, muscles and vascular cells, all functioning together achieve and maintain an erection. When erect, the penis’ smooth muscle tissue relaxes, which allows blood to flow into the penis, and triggering the process are endothelial cells that line the blood vessels, as they release nitric oxide.

For the study, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells were extracted by the researchers from the animals’ penises. Separated, they were then grown in the laboratory supported by rod- shaped collagen scaffolds, which placed in an incubator were then nourished by fluids to mimic conditions inside the body.

On maturing, the cells, the scaffolding and the newly formed penile spongy tissue called corpora cavernosa, was surgically implanted in the rabbits’ penises.

A month later, the tissue began forming new blood vessel structures necessary for functioning propertly, while nerves from the existing penile tissue integrated with the new tissue. In time, the cells absorbing the collagen structure built their own.

Tests on the treated rabbits found pressure inside the penis, blood flow, response to nitric oxide, drainage of the blood after the erection and sperm presence in the female vagina to be all normal. So successful was the functioning of the tissue engineering that the treated rabbits were able to impregnate 4 of 12-females.

Dr. Andrew McCullough, Director, Male Sexual Health, Fertility and Microsurgery says the results are very promising, as better treatments for erectile dysfunction are sorely required, as 35% of men fail to respond to impotence drugs like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. With ageing come health problems like diabetes, high cholesterol and hyper-tension, conditions which not only affect male sexual functioning, but also worsen it making the drugs less effective.