Though several startups in the hearing restoration field have opened in the Boston area in recent years, a breakthrough therapy may still be “years away,” according to an article in the Boston Globe.
According to the article, companies such as Frequency Therapeutics, Decibel Therapeutics, and Akouos are focused on developing gene therapies and regenerative medicine, which work by either adding healthy genes to a damaged inner ear or activating dormant hair cells. But, like other biotech companies working on therapies for cancer or dementia, it may take years to develop the right formulation that can both cross the blood-cochlear barrier and be effective, according to the Boston Globe.
Some companies are even exploring “viral vectors,” or benign viruses, that act as a delivery method for a particular gene therapy.
To read the article in its entirety, please click here.
Source: The Boston Globe
