The group aims to carry out clinical, surgical and basic research, development, innovation, evaluation and promotion activities in the field of diseases located in the genitourinary organs that constitute the doctrinal body of Urology.

Within Andrology/Sexual Medicine, in addition to contributions to clinical research on sexual dysfunction and its therapeutic approach, the group has developed several translational research projects in this field in recent years. In fact, it has carried out two projects funded through competitive evaluation by the European Society for Sexual Medicine (Grants 2010 and 2014) whose results, in addition to various presentations at conferences, have generated two important publications in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (Martínez-Salamanca et al., J Sex Med 2016, 13(1):1-11; J Sex Med 2016, 3(12):1844-57). In addition to the use of animal models of DE, the group has placed particular emphasis on the use of human tissues to obtain more relevant results aimed at unraveling pathophysiological mechanisms and identifying new therapeutic targets and evaluating the potential of various therapeutic agents on erectile function and dysfunction (Martínez-Salamanca et al., J Sex Med, 2014, 11(5):1182-92; J Sex Med. 2015 Mar;12(3):590-9).

The experience described above supports the ability to carry out a project such as this one, as it represents significant advances in the knowledge of the pathophysiology of ED in groups with cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetic patients (Angulo et al. BBRC, 2003; J Sex Med, 2010a) and extensive experience in the preclinical evaluation of therapeutic targets (Angulo et al. JPET, 2006; J Sex Med 2009; Martínez-Salamanca et al. J Sex Med 2015) and molecules with potential therapeutic applicability: vardenafil (Sáenz de Tejada et al. Int J Impot Res 2001; Angulo et al., Int J Impot Res 2003; J Sex Med 2006) or FM19G11 (El Assar et al. 2015), and in characterising new actions of molecules already tested clinically such as dobesilate (Angulo et al., Br J Pharmacol 2003; J Sex Med 2005; Villoria et al. Basic Clin Toxicol Pharmacol 2008) and nebivolol (Angulo et al., J Sex Med 2010; Martínez-Salamanca et al. J Sex Med 2014).
The group therefore has extensive experience in evaluating the functional responses of human erectile tissue: penile resistance arteries and corpus cavernosum. This makes it possible to address scientific questions ranging from biochemical and molecular biology determinations to the evaluation of functional responses of human cavernous tissue. These are methods that provide the appropriate tools for carrying out the requested project.

Dr. Martínez-Salamanca, as IP of the Project, has a track record in the field of Andrology, both clinical and translational, since 2007. Among his most notable achievements, he is currently Secretary General of the European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) and a Member of its Scientific Committee since 2013. In addition, he has been Editor-in-Chief of the ESSM Newletter, Associate Editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine (JSM), Member of the International Consultation on Sexual Medicine and acting Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Andrology (RIA). He has participated both as IP and as Collaborator in more than 15 Clinical Trials in the field of Sexual Medicine. In 2016, he was awarded the prestigious international ”ESSM Award of Excellence” to the European Urologist with the best scientific track record under 40 years of age. Recently (September/2018), Dr. Martínez-Salamanca has been included as a Panel Expert Member for the development of the new Clinical Guidelines of the European Association of Urology, in Male Sexual & Reproductive Health (2018-2022)