When gastrointestinal tissue is used for bladder augmentation or replacemen
t, multiple complications may ensue, such as infection, metabolic disturban
ces, urolithiasis, perforation, increased mucous production, and malignancy
. Therefore, alternative methods are being sought for cystoplasty. There ha
s been a resurgence of interest in the use of acellular collagen-based matr
ices as scaffolds for bladder regeneration. Experimental work involving sev
eral collagen matrices, such as allogenic bladder and intestinal tissues, i
s currently being conducted in several academic centers. Recently, function
al bladder tissue has been engineered using selective cell transplantation.
The approach that has been followed for bioengineering of bladder tissue i
nvolves the use of autologous cells, thus avoiding rejection. whereby a bio
psy of tissue is obtained from the host. after which the cells are dissocia
ted and expanded in vitro. reattached to a matrix, and implanted into the s
ame host.