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  • NEWS

Sensory secrets of penis and clitoris unlocked after more than 150 years

Low-frequency vibrations arouse genital nerve cells in mice — a finding that might lead to treatments for erectile dysfunction and more.
  1. Sara Reardon
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Krause corpuscles are distributed across female (left) and male (right) mouse genitalia.

Researchers have learnt that sensory nerve cells called Krause corpuscles are denser on the clitoris of female mice (left) than on the penis of male mice (right). Credit: Lijun Qi, Michael Iskols, and David Ginty

Specific nerve cells on the penis and clitoris detect vibrations and then become activated, causing sexual behaviours such as erections, a study in mice has revealed1. The findings could lead to new treatments for conditions such as erectile dysfunction, or for restoring sexual function in people with lower-body paralysis.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02058-5

Read the related News & Views: ‘Sex organs sense vibrations through specialized touch neurons’

Also, listen to a related Nature podcast on these sensory cells

References

  1. Qi, L. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07528-4 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lam, R. M. et al. Science 381, 906–910 (2023).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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