![Priapism and Sickle Cell Disease]()
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease has awarded Kelvin Davies, Ph.D., a four-year renewal grant of $2 million to study the association between priapism and sickle cell disease (SCD). Priapism is a prolonged, painful erection that can lead to erectile dysfunction and permanent tissue damage. There are no effective treatments. Dr. Davies’ group discovered that a small protein called opiorphin may contribute to priapism in people with SCD by activating pathways that relax smooth muscle in the penis. They’ll test human and mouse cells to see if hypoxia (a condition associated with SCD) increases opiorphin expression. They’ll also determine if patients with SCD have elevated opiorphin levels in the blood and if increased levels of opiorphin are associated with priapism risk. Using a delivery system developed in the laboratory of Joel M. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Davies’ team will deploy nanoparticles loaded with opiorphin-silencing siRNA directly to penile tissue. Dr. Davies is professor of urology and of physiology and biophysics.
Posted on: Tuesday, February 23, 2016