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Animal models in urological disease and sexual dysfunction
Gordon McMurray1, James H Casey, Alasdair M Naylor
1Pfizer Global Research and Development, Sandwich Laboratories, Ramsgate Road, Kent CT13 9NJ.
British Journal of Pharmacology
|February 9, 2006
Summary
Animal models are crucial for developing new treatments for lower urinary tract and sexual dysfunctions. While some treatments exist, many conditions like stress urinary incontinence lack effective therapies, highlighting the need for validated preclinical models.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Urology
- Preclinical Research
Background:
- Lower urinary tract dysfunction and sexual dysfunction significantly impact quality of life for patients, partners, and caregivers.
- Current treatments for conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) offer some relief, but effective therapies for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and overactive bladder (OAB) remain limited.
- Male erectile dysfunction (MED) treatment has advanced with phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, demonstrating patient willingness to adopt novel therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review animal models applicable to the discovery of novel therapeutics for lower urinary tract and sexual dysfunctions.
- To assess the predictive value of current preclinical models for clinical outcomes in these areas.
- To emphasize the importance of validated models for advancing treatment options.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on animal models for urological and sexual dysfunction.
- Analysis of the translational validity of preclinical models based on known pharmacological mechanisms and clinical successes.
- Discussion of the criteria for validating preclinical models in drug discovery.
Main Results:
- Established treatments like alpha-blockers and 5-ARIs aid BPH symptom relief.
- Significant unmet needs exist for SUI and OAB therapies, with anti-muscarinics being the primary option for OAB.
- The success of PDE5 inhibitors in MED illustrates the potential for effective treatments to drive patient engagement.
Conclusions:
- Preclinical models are essential for identifying safe and effective medicines for challenging urological and sexual conditions.
- Validation of these models relies on understanding human pathophysiology and confirming findings across related models.
- Full model validation is contingent upon successful translation to human clinical trials.