{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T22:53:13Z","timestamp":1781650393375,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776124800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776124800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"Istanbul University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["World J Urol"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Urethral stricture is a fibrotic narrowing of the urethra with limited long-term success using minimally invasive treatments. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess antifibrotic and regenerative properties that may offer a novel therapeutic approach. This first-in-human pilot study evaluated the safety and preliminary efficacy of Wharton\u2019s jelly-derived MSC injections for recurrent bulbar urethral stricture.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Eleven men with recurrent bulbar urethral strictures\u2009\u2264\u20092\u00a0cm underwent urethral dilatation followed 3\u20135 days later by intralesional injection of 4\u2009\u00d7\u200910^6 MSCs. MSCs were cryopreserved under ultra-low temperatures, transported at 2\u20138\u00a0\u00b0C on the day of injection, and viability (&gt;\u200970%) was confirmed post-thaw. Patients were followed for six months, with assessments including uroflowmetry, post-void residual, urethroscopy or retrograde urethrography, and patient-reported outcomes (IPSS, IIEF, USS-PROM). Safety was monitored throughout.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The procedure was completed in all patients without technical difficulties. No systemic or long-term local adverse events were observed. Two patients experienced transient dysuria and one had minimal hematuria, all resolving spontaneously. Median Qmax improved from 8.9 mL\/s preoperatively to 16.4 mL\/s at 1 month but declined toward baseline by 6 months. Patient-reported outcomes showed short-term improvements, with significant reductions in IPSS and USS-PROM scores at 1 and 3 months. No statistically significant changes were observed in uroflowmetry parameters over the six-month follow-up.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Intralesional injection of Wharton\u2019s jelly-derived MSCs following urethral dilatation is safe and feasible in humans. While objective urinary flow improvements were limited, patient-reported symptoms showed short-term benefit. These findings support further investigation in larger, controlled trials to optimize dosing, evaluate repeated administration, and determine efficacy in urethral stricture management.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00345-026-06414-0","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T11:37:04Z","timestamp":1776166624000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A first-in-human pilot study of Wharton\u2019s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell injection for urethral stricture: safety and preliminary efficacy"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"44","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4784-5209","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mazhar","family":"Ortac","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"M. 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