Penile erectile function: recommendations for future research

Research in the field of erectile function and dysfunction is rapidly expanding. Future directions of this research were discussed at the Ist International Consultation on Erectile Dysfunction, held in Paris, July 1999, Important research areas were identified, and some recommendations were made. There is a need for mouse models of erection for molecular biology purposes, and also for new animal models of erectile dysfunction. Behavioral assessments of sexual function are advantageous and deserve to be used more widely. More knowledge about the anatomical interrelations and interactions between different brain nuclei that modulate erection and sexual function is required. Centrally and peripherally, the potential of new neuronal and non-neuronal transmitters and modulators and their interactions should be further explored. The signal pathways in erectile tissues for different transmitters/modulators should be studied in detail, and also the distribution and roles of eg, receptors, cyclases, phosphodiesterases, and protein kinases. Further information is desired about excitation -contraction coupling, cell-to-cell transmission of activation, ion channels within erectile tissues and also about changes in contractile proteins that occur with erectile dysfunction. Important for treatment are strategies to prevent cavernosal degeneration and/or to restore cavernosal function. Intracavernosal somatic gene therapy is promising, and new molecular targets for drug treatments should be identified and explored.