World J Mens Health.  2012 Aug;30(2):93-98.

Therapeutic Angiogenesis as a Potential Future Treatment Strategy for Erectile Dysfunction

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Urology, National Research Center for Sexual Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea. jksuh@inha.ac.kr

Abstract

The cavernous endothelium plays a crucial role in regulating the tone of the underlying smooth muscle and physiologic penile erection. Recently, the link between erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease was unveiled, and the main etiology of ED was found to be vasculogenic. Although oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are generally effective for men with ED, such therapies do not cure underlying vasculopathy in the corpus cavernosum tissue. This review addresses current preclinical protein, gene, and cell or stem cell therapies for enhancing cavernous endothelial regeneration and restoring erectile function.

Keyword

Erectile dysfunction; Endothelium; Angiogenesis inducing agents

MeSH Terms

Aluminum Hydroxide
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
Carbonates
Cardiovascular Diseases
Caves
Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5
Endothelium
Erectile Dysfunction
Humans
Male
Muscle, Smooth
Penile Erection
Regeneration
Stem Cells
Aluminum Hydroxide
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
Carbonates
Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5

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