Did you know that having diabetes can affect sexual function? It can even cause erectile dysfunction (ED). And, for a proportion of people living with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, drugs like Viagra have little to no effect.

So how do we find new ways of treatment for a growing segment of the population that is missed by current treatment options?

For most men, ED is caused by physical, rather than psychological, problems and is often seen as an early warning sign of cardiovascular diseases. ED is most commonly treated with drugs inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5, PDE5 for short. Viagra, the so-called “miracle drug” is a PDE5 inhibitor, and it is generally effective. But if the ED is caused by another health condition like diabetes or heart disease, the effect can be lessened - and some patients don’t respond at all.

In the hunt for alternatives to the “miracle drug”, scientists have made promising findings in studies with modulation of other pathways, such as calcium channels in endothelial cells or dopamine signalling.

Listen as an expert in urology and a senior scientist studying erectile dysfunction talk about causes, co-morbidities, and new approaches to treatment.

Episode info

Guests

• Mikkel Fode, Professor of Urology, University of Copenhagen

• Simon Comerma, Postdoctoral Scientist, Aarhus University

Host

• Gretchen Repasky, currently Education and Networking Manager, Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy; formerly, Communications Director, Nordic EMBL Partnership, University of Helsinki

Transcript

Download transcript

Publisher

Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy

Producer

Kontekst & Lyd

Resource list

• What is erectile dysfunction (ED)? – Johns Hopkins Medicine

• Erectile Dysfunction FAQs – Mayo Clinic

• The race to replace Viagra – The Guardian

• Erectile Dysfunction and Altered Contribution of KCa1.1 and KCa2.3 Channels in the Penile Tissue of Type-2 Diabetic db/db Mice

• Systematic Review of Oral Combination Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction When Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhbiitor Monotherapy Fails

• Modulation of Dopaminergic Pathways to Treat Erectile Dysfunction

• Adipose-Derived Stem Cells from Type 2 Diabetic Rats Retain Positive Effects in a Rat Model of Erectile Dysfunction

• Small and Intermediate Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel Openers Improve Rat Endothelial and Erectile Dysfunction

• Breaking the Ice of Erectile Dysfunction Taboo: A Focus on Clinician-Patient Communication

• Initiator Pharma

• Initiator Pharma reports positive statistically significant and clinically relevant Phase IIb efficacy data with pudafensine

• A novel reuptake inhibitor, IP2015, induces erection by increasing central dopamine and peripheral nitric oxide release