New Therapeutic Targets for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction

Abstract

Introduction Despite the high efficacy and safety rates of the currently available treatments for erectile dysfunction, basic research reveals numerous new targets that are explored for therapeutic use. Aim To overview potential new targets and to review available animal and human studies focusing on the potential of these targets for effective therapy for treating erectile dysfunction. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed and Medline database, and citations were selected based on relevance. Main Outcome Measures Data are presented based on the analysis of the selected scientific information and published clinical trials. Results Fundamental research has, in the past decade, increased the understanding in both the physiological and the pathophysiological pathways that play a role in erectile function. As this information increases each day, new targets to treat erectile dysfunction are frequently presented. Currently a number of new therapeutic targets have been published. Some of them target the nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate relaxation pathway as the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors do, others primarily target pathways involved in contraction. Also, targets within the central nervous system currently receive much attention. Some of these targets have already been used in clinical trials to test their efficacy and safety, with either disappointing or promising results. Conclusions This review overviews potential therapeutic targets and summarizes animal as well as human studies evaluating their perspectives for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Relaxant and Antioxidant Capacity of the Red Wine Polyphenols, Resveratrol and Quercetin, on Isolated Mice Corpora Cavernosa

“…It is necessary to consider backup therapeutic approaches in the treatment of ED as specific patient populations are refractory to first‐line therapy with phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors [19]. In this perspective, our results demonstrate that resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol with direct relaxant and antioxidant effects on mice CC, is potentially beneficial for patients suffering from ED.…”

Molecular and functional characterization of Kv7 channels in penile arteries and corpus cavernosum of healthy and metabolic syndrome rats

“…They include targets associated with vasorelaxation induced by the NO–cGMP pathway, such as increasing cGMP production through release of carbon monoxide (CO) (Decaluwé et al , ) or activation of Ca 2 + ‐activated K + channels (Werner et al , ; Werner et al , ; Kun et al , ; González‐Corrochano et al , ; Király et al , ). They also include targets independent of NO–cGMP, such as release of hydrogen sulfide (Srilatha et al , ), inhibiting the RhoA/Rho‐kinase (Decaluwé et al , ), and the angiotensin II signalling pathway (Jin, ), increasing prostaglandin E1 (Bratus et al , ), and blocking endothelin receptors (Ritchie and Sullivan, ). Alternatively, anti‐inflammatory and anti‐fibrotic therapies as well as regenerative medicine are being developed (Decaluwé et al , ).…”

Divergent Molecular Mechanisms Underlay CO- and CORM-2-Induced Relaxation of Corpora Cavernosa

“…From pharmacological point of view, the finding that CO relaxes CC without effect on other blood vessels is very interesting. The latter could indicate that an appropriate CO donor, would lead to less adverse effects compared with current drugs which struggle with smooth muscle relaxation in other vascular beds and in the gastrointestinal system [1]. Similar studies should be performed on human tissues to evaluate whether human CC are also more sensitive than other vascular tissues.…”