Safety and Potential Effect of Innovative Treatment by Adjuvant Injection of Stromal Vascular Fraction From Autologous Adipose Tissue of URethral Stenosis With Endoscopic Urethrotomy (SURF)

Safety and Potential Effect of Innovative Treatment by Adjuvant Injection of Stromal Vascular Fraction From Autologous Adipose Tissue of URethral Stenosis With Endoscopic Urethrotomy: Randomized Controlled Trial

SURF is a randomised controlled, parallel group, single blind phase II study designed to assess the safety and potential efficacy of an innovative therapeutic strategy for urethral stenosis based on adjuvant injection of autologous Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction of Adipose Tissue (ADSVF) during endoscopic urethrotomy (standard care).

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Urethral Stenosis
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: lipoaspiration; Procedure: urethrotomy; Drug: autologous ADSVF administration

Detailed Description

Urethral stenosis (UrS) is a narrowing of the urethra's caliber. UrS results of ischemic fibrosis of the corpus spongiosum (spongiofibrosis). Fibrosis-induced retraction reduces the size of the urethral lumen. Spongiofibrosis may be due to infections, inflammation, trauma but remains mostly idiopathic.Endo-urethral treatment exposes to a high rate of recurrence (up to 60% depending on the site, length and etiology). The reconstruction treatment is more effective but more complex (use of oral mucosal flap or other substitution tissue, less mastered by the surgical community and more morbid.

The (ADSVF) is an easily accessible source of autologous mesenchymal stem cells. Obtention from lipoaspirates is safe, simple and standardized. Different animal models have demonstrated the pro-healing and anti-fibrotic properties of autologous ADSVF in the urethra corpus cavernous during erectile dysfunction, perineal fistulas during Crohn's disease and systemic sclerosis.

The main objective of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of ADSVF, as add-on treatment to endoscopic urethrotomy for recurrent bulbar urethral stenosis during the follow-up.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 20
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Alexandra GIULIANI; Phone Number: 0491382870; Email: alexandra.giuliani@ap-hm.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Gilles Karsenty, Pr.; Phone Number: 0491435170; Email: Gilles.KARSENTY@ap-hm.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Marseille, France
    • Recruiting
    • Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Marseille
    • Contact: Gilles Karsenty; Email: gilles.karsenty@ap-hm.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Signed informed consent
• Male, aged from 18 to 85 years
• Bulbar urethral stenosis ≤ 3 cm.
• At least one urethral dilatation or urethrotomy for the bulbar stenosis in the past 24 months before diagnosis of stenosis
• Ability to avoid corticoids or immunosuppressive drugs one month after treatment. For any patients with either corticoid or immunosuppressive treatment the physician in charge of this treatment will be contacted and asked to give a written approval for one month cessation of the therapy
• Good general health status according to clinical history and a physical examination
• BMI > 18 to insure adequate access to abdominal or other subcutaneous adipose tissue for adipose tissue harvesting

Exclusion Criteria:

• Urethral stenosis of other location than bulbar
• Urethral stenosis length > 3 cm
• Urethral stenosis on reconstructed penis (transgender, post amputation)
• Prior perineal or pelvic radiotherapy
• Concurrent urinary tract infection without treatment
• Concurrent perineal infection
• Penile cancer < 5 years
• Current or recent history of abnormal, severe, progressive, uncontrolled infectious, hepatic, haematological, gastrointestinal (except CD), endocrine, pulmonary, cardiac, neurological, psychiatric, or cerebral disease
• Congenital or acquired immunodeficiencies
• Contraindication to the anaesthetic or surgical procedure
• Corticoids or immunosuppressive drugs > 3 months
• Any active viral infection among the following: HIV, HTLV I and II, VHB, VHC and syphillis
• Administrative restricted rights
• Presence of signs of obstructive voiding symptoms not directly attributable to the stricture at the discretion of the physician
• Diagnosis of untreated and unresolved BPH benign prostatic hyperplasia or BNC bladder neck contracture
• Diagnosis of carcinoma of the urethra, bladder or prostate within the last two (2) years

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Sham Comparator: Control group; The surgeon trained to lipoaspiration procedure will perform lipoaspiration for the ADSVF cryopreservation under local anesthesia with sedation. The patients of the control group benefices to urethrotomy (standard care) under general anesthesia. The surgical surgical technique necessitates performing three incisions with a cold endoscopic knife in the stenosis to obtain enlargement of urethral lumen on the length of the fibrosis at 3, 9 and 12 o' clock. For patients randomised in the control group, lippoaspiration will be performed for cryopreservation of the autologous ADSVF and potential second administration of ADSVF in case of UrS recurrency. UrS recurrence or primary failure is defined as a recurrence without a period of post procedure improvement). Recurrence incoming before 21 months post experimental treatment will be treated according to the study in order to have a minimum follow-up of 3 months.	Procedure: lipoaspiration; The surgeon will perform lipoaspiration under local anesthesia for the ADSVF production.; Procedure: urethrotomy; The urologist will perform an endoscopic urethrotomy (standard care).
Experimental: Experimental group; The surgeon trained to lipoaspiration procedure will perform lipoaspiration for the ADSVF cryopreservation under local anesthesia with sedation. The patients of the control group benefices to urethrotomy (standard care) under general anesthesia. The surgical surgical technique necessitates performing three incisions with a cold endoscopic knife in the stenosis to obtain enlargement of urethral lumen on the length of the fibrosis at 3, 9 and 12 o' clock. For theses patients -randomised in the experimental group - the experimental cell drug will be customised-made to each patient's lesion and included a dose between 16 and 56 million* viable nucleated cells (VNCs) of fresh or thawed autologous Adipose-derived -Stromal Vascular Fraction, resuspended in saline (0, 9%) - 5% human serum albumin (50 mg/mL) final packaged in 2 to 7 syringes of 1 mL at a concentration of 8 million CNV / mL, individually closed with a tamper-proof Luer Lock cap and labelled to ensure double-blindness.	Procedure: lipoaspiration; The surgeon will perform lipoaspiration under local anesthesia for the ADSVF production.; Procedure: urethrotomy; The urologist will perform an endoscopic urethrotomy (standard care).; Drug: autologous ADSVF administration; ADSVF will be administrated in fibrotic lesion during urethrotomy by the urologist.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Baseline intensity and duration of urethral pain	A degree of pain can be expected at the tissue sampling site. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institute.	1 day
Intensity and duration of urethral pain D7	measured 7 days after therapeutic administration. A degree of pain can be expected at the tissue sampling site. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institute.	7 days
Intensity and duration of urethral pain M1	measured 1 month after therapeutic administration. A degree of pain can be expected at the tissue sampling site. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institute.	1 month
Intensity and duration of urethral pain M3	measured 3 months after therapeutic administration. A degree of pain can be expected at the tissue sampling site. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institute.	3 months
Intensity and duration of urethral pain M6	measured 6 months after therapeutic administration. A degree of pain can be expected at the tissue sampling site. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institute.	24 months
Intensity and duration of urethral pain M9	measured 9 months after therapeutic administration. A degree of pain can be expected at the tissue sampling site. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institute.	9 months
Intensity and duration of urethral pain M18	measured 18 months after therapeutic administration. A degree of pain can be expected at the tissue sampling site. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institute.	18 months
Intensity and duration of urethral pain M24	measured 24 months after therapeutic administration. A degree of pain can be expected at the tissue sampling site. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institute.	24 months
Incidence of urinary infection	measured at baseline (day of inclusion). This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from blood sample analysis.	24 months
Incidence of urniary infection M1	measured 1 month after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from blood sample analysis.	1 month
Number of patient with urethral bleeding	measured at baseline (day of inclusion). This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	1 day
Number of patient with urethral bleeding D7	measured 7 days after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	7 days
Number of patient with urethral bleeding M1	measured 1 month after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	1 month
Number of patient with urethral bleeding M3	measured 3 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	3 months
Number of patient with urethral bleeding M6	measured 6 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	6 months
Number of patient with urethral bleeding M9	measured 9 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	9 months
Number of patient with urethral bleeding M18	measured 18 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	18 months
Number of patient with urethral bleeding M24	measured 24 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institut.	24 months
Presence of urethral perforation with fistula or perineal soft tissue infection D7	measured 7 days after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institut.	7 days
Presence of urethral perforation with fistula or perineal soft tissue infection M1	measured 1 month after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	1 month
Presence of urethral perforation with fistula or perineal soft tissue infection M3	measured 3 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	3 months
Presence of urethral perforation with fistula or perineal soft tissue infection M6	measured 6 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	6 months
Presence of urethral perforation with fistula or perineal soft tissue infection M9	measured 9 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator. The events intensity will be graded according to the version 5.0 of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification (grade 1 to 5 toxicity) of National Cancer Institut.	9 months
Presence of urethral perforation with fistula or perineal soft tissue infection M18	measured 18 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	18 months
Presence of urethral perforation with fistula or perineal soft tissue infection M24	measured 24 months after therapeutic administration. This adverse event will be collected during clinical examination from the investigator questioning the patient; or from the patient's unsolicited reporting, as encouraged to do towards the investigator.	24 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
USP score	Change from baseline Urinary Symptom Profile (USP) scores at 1, 3, 6, 9, 18 and 24 months. USP scores include 3 different scales : low stream score. Minimum score = 0 ; Maximum score (worse outcome) = 9; overactivity score. Minimum score = 0 ; Maximum score (worse outcome) = 21; stress incontinence. Minimum score = 0 ; Maximum score (worse outcome) = 9	24 months
International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Module (ICIQ-MLUTS)	Change from baseline ICIQ-MLUTS at 1, 3, 6, 9, 18 and 24 months. Minimum score = 0 ; Maximum score (worse outcome) = 21	24 months
Uroflowmetry	Uroflowmetry is a noninvasive test of the voiding phase. It consists in a device which assess urine flow (Q max normal >12ml/s, shape of the curve) and the urinated volume. To be interpreted Uroflowmetry needs to be coupled with a post micturition residual volume mesasure via an automated bladder sonography device. Urinated volume + residual volume known as bladder pre-charge and needs to be higher than 150ml to make the uroflowmetry nterpretable and meaningful. Urinary change from baseline will be measured at 1, 3, 6, 9, 18 and 24 months.	24 months
Baseline imaging assessment of spongiofibrosis volume with Fat Sat sequences	A magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) will be performed locally at Screening (baseline), to assess the volume of spongiofibrosis using Sagittal view in T1 Fat Sat after Gadolinium injection.	24 months
imaging assessment of spongiofibrosis volume with Fat Sat sequences M1	A magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) will be performed locally at M1 to assess the volume of spongiofibrosis using Sagittal view in T1 Fat Sat after Gadolinium injection.	24 months
imaging assessment of spongiofibrosis volume with Fat Sat sequences M9	A magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) will be performed locally at M9 to assess the volume of spongiofibrosis using Sagittal view in T1 Fat Sat after Gadolinium injection.	24 months
Recurrence rate	Recurrence of urethral stenosis (defined as a recurrence without a period of post procedure improvement) will be analyzed at 1, 3, 6,9 18, and 24 months.	24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assistance Publique Hopitaux De Marseille
• Investigators: Study Director: FRANCOIX CREMIEUX, Assisitance Publique Hopitaux de Marseille

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 13, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 3, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 4, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): May 12, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 4, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 3, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Male Urogenital Diseases; Urologic Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urethral Diseases; Urethral Obstruction; Urethral Stricture
• Other Study ID Numbers: RCAPHM18_0020_1; 2022-002175-11 (EudraCT Number)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No