Gene Therapy May Treat Erectile D...(ars. In another trial four monkeys we...),Health

In another trial, four monkeys were fed a high-fat diet, which reduced their sex drive. After the monkeys received a Maxi-K gene transfer, they became friskier.

In addition, the number of partial and full erections increased about fivefold, the researchers found. Also, the frequency of ejaculations increased among the monkeys that received the gene transfer. Moreover, the gene transfer affected how the monkeys behaved with female monkeys.

"The most fascinating thing is there was the increased socialization," lead researcher George J. Christ, a professor of urology and head of the Program in Cell Tissue and Organ Physiology at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, said during Tuesday's teleconference. "After receiving a gene transfer and regaining sexual function, they felt better about themselves."

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For more on erectile dysfunction, visit the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

SOURCES: May 20, 2008, teleconference with Arnold Melman, M.D., professor, medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City; George J. Christ, Ph.D., professor, urology, and head, Program in Cell, Tissue and Organ Physiology, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C., May 20, 2008, presentations, American Urological Association annual meeting, Orlando, Fla.