Gene transfer recognized as successful in treating erectile dysfunction

In an experiment conducted at New York University School of Medicine, researchers inserted small pieces of DNA into the cavernous bodies of 11 patients with erectile dysfunction. Thus, they successfully cured this disease.

Patients between the ages of 42 and 80 were selected for gene therapy experiments. Six of them were white, four were black, and one was Hispanic. Half of the men suffered from impotence due to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Pieces of DNA mixed with plasma were injected, and after that, whole arrays of clinical as well as laboratory tests were carried out to measure the results.

The specific gene therapy, which the researchers developed while working together at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, is unlike traditional gene therapy, which changes the genetic code of cells to treat erectile dysfunction. In this experiment, the scientists inserted small pieces of DNA into the corpus cavernosum, tissue that runs the entire length of the penis. As a result, a specific type of protein was obtained, which further led muscle cells to relax.

Along with gene transfer, a range of medical tests were performed on patients with sexual dysfunction to confirm the safety and efficacy, as well as the accuracy of the treatment, which was calculated using the International Index of Erectile Function methodology, commonly used to measure the degree of erectile dysfunction.< /p>

Although the final results of the study were based on a 24-week follow-up, gene therapy treatment can last up to a month. This method can be an alternative to erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and Cialis. After the results of the study were published in Human Gene Therapy, there was hope that gene therapy would be an effective treatment for disorders such as asthma, irritable bowel syndrome and overactive bladder.

This hope was bolstered by a statement by George Christ, Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, highlighting the fact that along with erectile dysfunction, gene therapy may also be an appropriate treatment for other cell-related diseases. smooth muscles.

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