Review: Tissue Engineering of the Urinary Bladder: Considering Structure-Function Relationships and the Role of Mechanotransduction

A variety of conditions encountered in urology result in bladder dysfunction and the need for bioengineered tissue substitutes. Traditionally, a number of synthetic materials and natural matrices have been used in experimental and clinical settings. However, the production of functional bladder tissue replacements remains elusive. The urinary bladder sustains considerable structural deformation during its normal function and represents an ideal model tissue in which to study the effects of biomechanical simulation on tissue morphogenesis, differentiation, and function. However, the actual role of mechanical forces within the bladder has received little attention. A strategy in which in vitro-generated tissue constructs are conditioned by exposure to the same mechanical forces as they would encounter in vivo could potentially be used both in the development of functional tissue replacements and to further study the role of biomechanical signalling. The purpose of this review is to examine the role and structure-function relationship of the urinary bladder and, through consultation of the literature available on mechanotransduction and tissue engineering of alternative tissues, to determine the factors that need to be considered when biomechanically engineering a functional bladder.