First Stem Cell Study for Peyronie's in Humans Shows Promise

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., Oct. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Unless you were living with it, it's likely you were unaware of male sexual dysfunction until the late 90's when pharmaceutical companies started huge campaigns for treatment of Erectile Dysfunction (ED).

Erectile Dysfunction isn't the only form of male sexual dysfunction. A condition called Peyronie's Disease has gone largely overlooked, and existing treatments haven't met with much success. Dr. Michael Zahalsky, a Florida urologist fellowship trained in male sexual dysfunction and pioneer in the use of biologics in Urology, is on a mission to help men affected by all male sexual dysfunction. As a result of his work, patients are experiencing groundbreaking success, thanks to the help of a trial using amniotic stem cells and growth factors.

Peyronie's Disease (PD) is characterized by the presence of fibrous plaque that causes an abnormal curvature of the penis during an erection. Often, this can make it difficult and painful to obtain or maintain an erection. It's been estimated that up to 7% of the male population is affected by PD. This week in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, Dr. Zahalsky published his groundbreaking results using amniotic stem cells and growth factors for Peyronie's Disease. He says his research on ED has already been accepted for publication in the same Journal.

"Patients who suffer from male sexual dysfunction suffer from so much more than the inability to perform," says Dr. Zahalsky. "They're generally unhappier, and can suffer from lack of confidence, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and more. Because Peyronie's can affect young men, it can have a damaging effect on their overall happiness. We had to find a better way to treat this."

The most promising results of the study included the effect of the treatment on fibrous plaque material found in the penis: 7 of 10 fibrous plaques disappeared completely, all patients had an improvement in blood flow, and curvature of the penis dramatically improved.

"We believe this was the first ever study on the use of injectable stem cells to manage Peyronie's Disease in humans," says Dr. Zahalsky. "We're thrilled with the early results from the study, and look forward to continuing research on this evolving field of urologic biologics."

Contact: Dr. Michael Zahalsky, 954-714-8200, [email protected]  

SOURCE Zurology