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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Dr. Bivalacqua at the Tulane University School of Medicine,
(504) 588-5801 or tbivala@tulane.edu
GENE THERAPY RESTORES YOUTHFUL ERECTILE FUNCTION TO OLD
RATS
The scientists who first introduced the concept of gene
therapy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) now report the first
success in reversing age-related ED in rats. Five days after transfection
with an adenovirus encoded for the Prepro-Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
gene, rats were given a nerve stimulation test to measure physiological
erectile response. The 60 week old rats treated with the gene showed
significant increases in erectile function, improving to levels seen in
untreated rats one third their age.
Dr. Trinity Bivalacqua and colleagues at Tulane University
School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Hospital injected the gene
intracavernosally, that is, into part of the erectile tissue of the penis.
The gene used contributes to cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation, allowing
the penis to become erect. This peptide has been shown to cause penile
erection in a number of species, including humans. The injection itself was
similar to that now used in humans for one-episode treatment of ED, but the
gene therapy worked much longer. Because the vascular smooth muscle cells
have a low turnover rate, the gene was still evident for up to thirty days,
with peak levels at five days. Furthermore, the gene created its beneficial
results without changing systemic circulation or causing any changes in the
penile architecture. Dr. Bivalacqua says the results suggest gene therapy
could be easy and effective for future management of ED in humans.
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