The findings appear in the May 12 print edition of Biomacromolecules, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Stress incontinence — the most common type of incontinence — occurs when muscles in the pelvis are too weak to support the bladder and urethra. Simple everyday activities such as coughing, sneezing and physical exercise can cause urine to leak involuntarily. One in ten people over the age of 65 suffer from urinary incontinence, according to the National Institute on Aging, and women are more likely to suffer from the condition than men. The condition can also occur in women whose muscles have been weakened by childbirth.
Made from micrometer-sized polymer beads called microspheres, the new material is an improvement on currently used bulking agents, which tend to trigger an allergic or inflammatory response, degrade with time, or migrate from the site of injection.
In tests with rats, the researchers found that the microspheres were well tolerated and remained in place. They also discovered that body cells, called fibroblasts, invaded the space between the microspheres and further anchored the material.
The microspheres have another advantage. Due to the presence of iodine in the polymer structure, they can be seen with X-rays, allowing doctors to track any possible migration, according to the study's lead author, Leo Koole, professor of biomaterials science at the University of Maastricht.
Koole is planning more animal studies. Clinical trials are several years away, he notes.
The online edition of the ACS publication Modern Drug Discovery features additional information about urinary incontinence and its treatment. Reporters can access the site, free-of-charge, at: http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/mdd/v06/i03/pdf/303dad.pdf
The online version of the research paper cited above was initially published on the journal's Web site on April 17. Journalists can arrange access to this site by sending an e-mail to newsroom@acs.org or calling the contact person for this release.
Journal
Biomacromolecules