Gene therapy 'hope' on impotence

[rodeodance]

Source: bbc



Sunday, 3 June 2007, 00:06 GMT 01:06 UK

Gene therapy 'hope' on impotence
lab work
The gene therapy work is moving from the lab to the clinic
US scientists say they are closer to creating a gene therapy treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Human and animal trials suggest this could offer an alternative to current treatments for some patients, the American Society of Gene Therapy heard.

Researchers say gene therapy could be effective far longer than pills used just before sex, improving spontaneity.

The human trials involved injections into the penis and some experts queried whether men would choose this option.

New approach

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6711213.stm

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umm.. this would not be my priority.

[Warpy]

1. Nor mine

but we're not the obscenely rich old white men with limp dicks, are we?

Cripes, with antibiotics rapidly becoming useless and HIV still spreading in many parts of the world, all they care about is the holy flaccid willy.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. When I read the subject, I anticipated hostile, dismissive reactions

But I'm still disappointed to see them.

Sexual dysfunction can be psychologically devastating. There's nothing at all contemptible about research to alleviate or cure it.

Yes, the world is ravaged by terrible diseases, but it's absurd to say that medical research must only be aimed at those.

[Pastiche423]

6. Psychologically devastating?

My heart bleeds!

I'll tell you what's psychologically devastating - being paralyzed, having Lupus, having a seizure disorder and diabetes. And the fucking rw xtrian nutjobs denying federal funds for stem cell research that could actually cure millions of people all over the planet.

A wimpy willy? Not so much.

[Solon]

9. Hope you are just as callous about female Anorgasmia. n/t

[Pastiche423]

10. I am not callous at all

I have my priorities straight.

[Solon]

11. "My Heart Bleeds"...

yeah, not callous at all. :eyes:

But on a more serious note, there is ALWAYS someone out there who is suffering more than anyone else, but you don't make light of a tragedy. Doesn't matter what the exact tragedy is either. Sympathy shouldn't be a zero sum game.

[Pastiche423]

12. A tragedy?

On a serious note, no one has ever died or suffered incredible pain because they couldn't get it up.

[Solon]

13. You are a paragon of human virtue...

NOT!

Being a person who is in constant physical pain, at least until my nerves die in my left shoulder, hence paralyzing me in that arm, even I can muster up a little sympathy for those who suffer differently than I do. I guess its too bad I'm not nearly as stone hearted as you.

:puke:

[Pastiche423]

14. I am sorry for your pain

I am also sorry to let you know that when that one arm becomes paralyzed, you will still have pain. Half by body is paralyzed. I know.

Having said that, a limp dick is not a tragedy.

[Akoto]

17. Wow, you're being an ass.

When a part of your body that should function in a certain way doesn't, it's psychologically damaging. Perhaps the inability to have intercourse doesn't count for you, but it does for many others, both male and female.

Sexuality is a very basic, primal function. To insinuate that it has no impact upon your health and state of mind, and that its loss is trivial, is quite ignorant.

[Pastiche423]

19. I never insinuated that it was trival

Just that it's not a tragedy.

[BestCenter]

20. It might not be a tragedy

But why are you dismissing it so easily? Why are you assuming that research on curing impotence will somehow hurt research on more serious diseases?

[Pastiche423]

21. Funding dollars

[camero]

22. ED is a complication of diabetes

So this research could actually help in that regard. It isn't only old people.

[sam sarrha]

3. actually my wife was hoping for a transplant

[Miss Chybil]

4. If you don't have the illness, it wouldn't be your priority,

If you did, you might have a different opinion.

[Bitwit1234]

5. Impotence could be a problem for some MEN

but it certainly is more important to do research on

cancer, all types
diabetis
MS
Lou Gehrichs disease
Heart disease

but since impotency is main a manly thing I guess bush's all buddies will let that be worked on first. The above poster was correct if a man thinks it is too small get an implant. Women get breast implants.

[FloridaJudy]

7. I love sex as much or more

than the next woman, but if it was a choice of curing impotence or my kid's cancer, well then hubby is just going to have to keep taking viagra.

This is all hypothetical, as I'm not married, and my kid is healthy. It's just that I think medical priorities need examining. Viagra, by the way, was discovered by accident. Pfizer was trying to develop a drug for heart disease. The one they tried didn't do squat for heart problems, but had an unexpected side effect that had a lot of male subjects requesting more...

[Control-Z]

8. Oh, wow!

I've been holding my breath for this.

Really, all of my life.

Every man's pleasure, especially at his convenience, has always been the highest of priorities to me. My future ex is a sex addict who has had to rely on Viagra to perform with multiple women, if you can imagine! I will rest easier tonight knowing he might have it a little easier in the future, poor thing.

And just think? For every stiff and functioning member there is an immoral, slutty female who can't keep her legs together, some of whom are ignorant to (can't afford or can't fill their Rx for) birth control. Can you imagine the the potential for punishment/unwanted children?

Really, any way you look at it, it's a win/win...win!!

(No need for the "sarcasm" emoticon here, I hope. )

[Lasher]

15. Wonder what the animal trials were like?

And I wonder what kind of animals they used? Lots of wierd scenarios running around in my head. Think I'll keep them to myself.

[Mend]

16. speaking of animals, maybe some of the Asian men will stop killing off the

rhinos for their horns and the other animals they are senselessly exterminating for their limpies.

[bitchkitty]

18. As a (so-far) chemo survivor

I cannot tell you how much I fucking resent this. With all the terrible diseases affecting so many people, they have to pour research and money into this?

I am not unsympathetic to men who have this problem, but come on. Why not put this money into gene therapy for cancer or AIDS?

And the "animal trials" raises my hackles, but that's a whole other thread...

[MidwestTransplant]

23. If it could be cured by stem cell research you can bet a bunch of RW Republicans would change their

tune

[sutz12]

24. I guess that I just don't understand....

Someone links a medical success story, and people start pissing on it because it supposedly doesn't help them, or diverts funds, or whatever.

I read some encouraging things in there, like how this gene treatment might help overcome nerve damage, which would seemingly give some promise and hope for other disciplines where that would apply. If they can regenerate or compensate for nerve damage in these cases, that should give people hope that they could do the same for other areas of the body and other syndromes involving nerve damage.

AFAIC, any medical progress is a good thing, even if it doesn't affect me personally. There have been so many cases where progress happens almost by accident, as a spinoff of unrelated investigations.

I want increases in medical research across the board. IMO, a success for anybody is a success for everybody.

[customerserviceguy]

27. Agreed

The simple fact is, there's only so much research money to go around, and the fact that this might be marketable means that it gets the private investment that is available. When you look at all the ads on TV for stiffy pills, we're talking about a major market here.

This is gene therapy research. Whatever is learned here, becomes part of the body of medical research that can then be applied to cures and treatments of other conditions.

Yes, I wish we'd defund the war, and spend all that money on all those diseases, too. But, as the cave-in of our elected representatives shows us, it ain't gonna happen.

[phrenzy]

25. Palpable "Man Bashing"

Wow - just wow. All the giggling and dismissing of this research shows a level of callousness I am surprised to see at DU. And some people doubt that we can sometimes be mirror images of religious nuts. Fundies will hate this because it promotes 'promiscuous' sex and the previous posters here hate it because it 'Enables men to have casual sex'. The posters on this thread talk about sex as if it were a frivolous luxury, not as the basic human function that it is. Yeah, you won't DIE from not being able to have sex, but you won't die from having no taste buds, no sense of smell or being color blind. Does that mean we should just dismiss those things and not do any research on them until every single life threatening disease is cured?

[SoCalDem]

26. That research is probably the ticket to getting right wing support

for stem cell research.. Those scientists are a crafty bunch..:)

If they can "use" the technology for hair loss reversal, double-chin shrinkage, weightloss or virility restoration, the can get all the funding they want :)