Gene Therapy could treat Impotence

Researchers have found that gene therapy can help repair key nerves that are involved in erections.

Research was conducted on rats to determine the effectiveness of genes in curing impotence. The cavernous nerves were injured in the rats to mimic the damage that can occur when men undergo prostate-removal. Doctors injected harmless, modified herpes virus to deliver proteins known as neurotrophic factors into the penis and the area near the cavernous nerves, which are located around the prostate gland and play an important role in erections. After a period of four weeks, researchers stimulated the cavernous nerves in the rats. Those rats that received the gene therapy had a substantially greater ability to achieve erections than those that did not get the treatment. These experiments would help in treating impotence in humans