Resarch lines of Erectile Dysfunction

Two large challenges for erectile dysfunction are approaching on the horizon. The first challenge is to improve the early diagnosis of men susceptible to other diseases, such as ischaemic heart disease or diabetes. It is likely that the development of molecular markers and genetic tests, plus improvements in non-invasive imaging techniques, will mean other potentially fatal diseases can be detected through the study of erection problems.

As regards to treatment, there is already a large range of drugs at our disposal that improve the erection in a high percentage of cases. Surgery on the penis has already reached satisfaction rates which leave little room for improvement. In this climate, the most promising lines of development are likely to be vascular targets, molecules involved in tissue regeneration and gene therapy.