Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) affects a significant proportion of women and often requires surgical intervention when conservative treatments fail. While midurethral slings (MUS) are widely used, concerns over complications such as mesh exposure/erosion and chronic pain have driven interest in regenerative medicine alternatives. This review explores emerging strategies, including stem cell therapies, platelet-rich plasma injections, decellularized extracellular matrix scaffolds, injectable hydrogels, and bioengineered slings. These approaches aim to restore continence by promoting tissue regeneration, improving biocompatibility, and reducing adverse reactions. We evaluate their mechanisms, reported outcomes, and current stage of development, supported by in vitro and in vivo model data. Although promising, these technologies face challenges related to cell viability, scaffold integration, and clinical translation. Continued interdisciplinary research is essential to optimize these therapies and bring safer, more effective solutions to patients. Regenerative strategies may ultimately redefine the future of SUI treatment by offering biologically integrated, long-lasting alternatives to synthetic slings. To date, no tissue-engineered or regenerative biomimetic sling has received regulatory approval for routine clinical use in the management of stress urinary incontinence.
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland). 2026 May 06*** epublish ***
Alexane Thibodeau, Aiden Smith, Stéphane Chabaud, Geneviève Nadeau, Jean Ruel, Stéphane Bolduc
Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/(LOEX), Regenerative Medicine Division, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Quebec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada., Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada., Département de Génie Mécanique, Faculté de Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.