Reconstructive urology remains one of the most complex and dynamic sections of modern urology, where a large proportion of surgical interventions are performed on the urethra. The most common causes of urethra stricture are iatrogenic damages, injuries and infections. Despite the successes achieved, reconstructive operations on the urethra (uretroplasty) remain one of the most difficult and unsolved urological problems. The use of regenerative technologies in medicine, in our opinion, is the most promising area that can improve the results of reconstructive interventions on the urethra by reducing the risk of fibrosis formation and stimulation of neoangiogenesis. The application of tissue engineering presents the possibility of creating organospecific transplants, which can have great potential in the case of augmentation and replacement urethroplasty. Biodegradable natural bioimplants are preferred. This review identifies limitations and challenges in reconstructive urology and discusses relevant advances in tissue engineering in urethra regeneration. The first part of the literature review presents data on the use of regenerative technologies in medicine, the potential of biomaterials and cell therapy in urethroplasty and discusses experimental models. However, a number of unresolved issues limit the application of these technologies to clinical practice, which requires further research in this direction.

Keywords: preclinical studies, stromal vascular fraction, biomaterials, regenerative medicine, urethra, tissue engineering, cell therapy