Scientists Invent Bionic Penis Augments To Rise Above Erectile Dysfunction

Pigs with erectile dysfunction have been able to perform again after being implanted with an artificial tissue. Humans, too, could one day get a boost from this invention.

A team led by biomedical researchers at the South China University of Technology (SCUT) has crafted an artificial version of the tunica albuginea, a fibrous envelope that keeps the penis erect, using hydrogel. When inserted into pig penises with tunica albuginea injuries, the material successfully restored the erections of Bama miniature pigs.

For context, the penis is made up of three spongy cylinders—all filled with blood when the sexual organ is aroused. On their own, however, they won’t be able to sustain an erection. Meanwhile, the tunica albuginea wraps around them to keep the blood in and prevent them from returning to the main circulation.

The bionic penis augments could be useful for humans with an impaired tunica albuginea caused by a tear or age-related conditions like Peyronie’s disease. With research, the material could even revive tendons, the bladder, and the heart.

While scientists have experimented with various tunica albuginea transplants, too often, those alternatives get rejected by the immune system. What this team has done is develop a hydrogel with biomechanical properties so close to the patterns of a tunica albuginea, the body accepts it as the real deal.

“The greatest advantage of the [artificial tunica albuginea] we report is that it achieves tissue-like functions by mimicking the microstructure of natural tissues,” explains Xuetao Shi, one of the researchers and a professor of tissue engineering at SCUT, in a news release. The scientists have published their findings in the Matter scientific journal.

The hydrogel is made of polyvinyl alcohol, a water-soluble polymer found in commercial products like contact lenses and eye drops. In small patches, the hydrogel formed a curled fiber structure mirroring to way collagen and elastin fibers straighten and stretch in penile connective tissue.

For the test, 12 male miniature pigs with impaired tunica albugineas were split into three groups—the first, a control with no treatment; the second with the hydrogel augments; and a third with a suture surgery. The scientists found that the hydrogel patches quickly replaced the damaged tunica albugineas, causing the pigs to “[regain] normal erection immediately.”

Although porcine penises come close to the size and structure of human male sexual organs, more research will still have to be done to ensure the implants have long, safe, and lasting effects in the human body.

Until then, the team says the hydrogel might give rise to the development of other aids, like wearable devices, electronic skins, and implantable sensors which could benefit from a soft-to-firm function.

[via Vice and Inverse, cover photo 106832449 © Ulf Wittrock | Dreamstime.com]