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Gene therapy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction

Nature Clinical Practice Urology volume 5, pages 60–61 (2008)Cite this article

The evolution of erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment has incorporated an increased understanding of the interactions of penile anatomy and physiology with intercellular and intracellular events. In the flaccid state, the cavernous smooth muscle (CSM) cells—the principal component of the endothelial-lined, paired cavernous bodies—are contracted. To achieve erection, a complex series of events involving the vascular, central and peripheral nervous systems must occur, which results in relaxation of the CSM within the corporal cavernosal bodies. All extant medical therapies for ED target CSM relaxation.

Although the current generation of oral phosphodiesterase (PDE) 5 inhibitors that are used to treat ED represent a substantial advancement from previous, more invasive treatments, unmet needs among men with ED still exist. PDE5 inhibitors are least effective in men with severe ED, which includes men with diabetes, and they are contraindicated in patients with some medical conditions and those receiving particular families of drugs. The relatively short-lived duration of currently available PDE5 inhibitors limits spontaneity of the sexual act, and many men and their partners are unhappy with the concept of “planned sex”. In addition, currently approved oral therapies have a high incidence of untoward adverse effects, which cause concern for many potential users of these medications.1

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Acknowledgements

Grateful appreciation to George Christ, PhD, cofounder of Ion Channel Innovations, LLC, and Kelvin Davies, PhD, Natan Bar-Chama, MD, and Andy McCullough, MD, for their supportive work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. and M Feder is a Post-Graduate Year 4 Urology Resident at the Department of Urology, A Melman is Professor and Chairman, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,

    Arnold Melman & Marc Feder

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  1. Arnold Melman
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  2. Marc Feder
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Correspondence to Arnold Melman.

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Competing interests

A Melman is a Directing Member and Co-Founder of Ion Channel Innovations, LLC, and he is a patent holder/applicant for the company. M Feder declared no competing interests.

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Melman, A., Feder, M. Gene therapy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Nat Rev Urol 5, 60–61 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpuro1014

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