David P. Brooks – Department of Renal and Urology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, King of Prussia, PA 19406-0939, USABenign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is evident histologically in all men of a certain age and results in urological symptoms in a significant proportion of these men. Current treatment is far from optimal and involves attempting to attenuate two important components of the disease, prostatic growth and prostatic smooth muscle contraction. Dr Hieble has contributed significantly to our understanding of the role of α-adrenoceptors in prostatic smooth muscle. The combination of α-adrenoceptor agonists and steroid 5-α-reductase inhibitors is currently used, although several new targets are being investigated.