Arginase inhibitors could be new drugs for impotence

Nitric oxide, the unassuming molecule that suddenly grabbed the spotlight a little over a decade ago as a ubiquitous biological signaler in mammals, plays a role in everything from blood vessel dilation to smooth muscle relaxation. Recent work by chemistry professor David W. Christianson of the University of Pennsylvania, professor of biochemistry and urology Abdulmaged M. Traish of Boston University Medical School, and their colleagues sheds new light on NO and impotence. The work on arginase not only adds to the fundamental understanding of this facet of biochemistry, but the researchers also hope that arginase itself may serve as a possible target for impotence drugs. Christianson then began collaborating with Traish and assistant professor of urology Noel N. Kim, experts in the bio chemistry of impotence. Understanding how arginase works helps flesh out the behavior of a whole class of enzymes with two metal ions.