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Genetic factors account for about 30 percent of the risk for erectile dysfunction, twin studies have indicated, yet until now, no specific loci had been identified. In a study published this week (October 8) in PNAS, researchers have, through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), found such a risk factor at a region near a gene called SIM1, which they call the SIM1 locus.
“Identifying this SIM1 locus as a risk factor for erectile dysfunction is a big deal because it provides the long sought-after proof that there is a genetic component to the disease,” lead author Eric Jorgenson, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, says in a press release. “Identifying the first genetic risk factor for erectile dysfunction is an exciting discovery because it opens the door for investigations into new, genetic-based therapies.”
The newly identified risk factor is a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on chromosome 6. ...
