Understanding how Peyronie’s disease develops (Anglia Ruskin Uni)

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Understanding how Peyronie’s disease develops

• IRAS ID

  182103

• Contact name

  Marta Mateus

• Contact email

  marta.mateus@student.anglia.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Anglia Ruskin University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  3 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  Peyronie’s disease (PD) is characterised by a localised fibrotic plaque of the tunica albuginea of the penis. It can affect 3-10% of all men with the highest incidence in 60-70 age groups. The plaque formation can lead to pain, erectile dysfunction and irreversible penile deformity. There are currently no satisfactory medical treatments for PD, only treatment option available is surgery.
  The PD is considered to have a multi-factorial aetiology in nature. The most widely accepted theory is that it is caused by an abnormal fibrotic reaction of the tunica albuginea to repetitive micro-trauma to the erect or flaccid penis, with inherited predisposition to exaggerated fibrotic response.

  Several factors such as pro-fibrotic cytokines, diabetes, hypoxia and oxidative stress have been suggested in various animal models for the pathophysiology of PD. However none have been studied systematically in human tissues. Our aim is therefore first to compare the phenotypes of fibroblasts from PD and non-disease tunica (control) tissue and then to identify the optimum conditions that will transform control fibroblasts to diseased fibroblasts. In order to be able to compare diseased and non-diseases fibroblasts we will need tunica albuginea tissue from patients with PD and from patients with penile cancer. During the surgery for PD, the fibrous plague is removed, part of which is used by the pathologist for diagnosis, and the remaining is discarded. During the surgery for penile cancer, some of the tunica which is non-cancerous is removed as a part of the surgical procedure to make space for grafting. This tissue is also discarded. We are seeking approval to utilise these two types of tissues which are otherwise discarded. The specimens will be totally anonymised. There will no additional intervention or change to the surgical procedure/patient care.

• REC name

  North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1

• REC reference

  15/NS/0051

• Date of REC Opinion

  3 Jun 2015

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion