A Creighton University researcher has developed a new technique for controlling gene expression to aid in the regeneration of sensory hair cells in the inner ear to potentially restore hearing and balance. According to a recent announcement from the university, a research team led by Sonia M. Rocha-Sanchez, PhD, an associate professor of oral biology in the Creighton School of Dentistry and an expert in the biology and physiology of the inner ear, has developed a method to temporally modify the expression of the retinoblastoma-1 (RB1) gene in mice.
The team reports that modulation of the RB1 gene can allow for the regrowth of cells in the inner ear and potentially restore hearing and balance caused by the loss of sensory hair cells. Previously, only two methods were available for researchers to modulate the expression of the retinoblastoma gene: opening it up to its fullest expression, or completely deleting it. Based on a research article published in the February 23, 2015 edition of Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, Rocha-Sanchez has received an NIH grant to continue exploring uses of the cell regeneration technique and its potential translation as a gene therapy option for humans.
“We’ve designed a system where the expression of the retinoblastoma gene can be reduced for a time and we’ve seen the beneficial growth of inner-ear hair cells,” said Rocha-Sanchez. “After sufficient regrowth of those cells, we can return the gene to its previous state.”
All mammalian vertebrates, including humans, are born with a limited number of sensory hair cells, say the researchers. Once lost, these cells are unable to regenerate, leading to hearing loss, deafness, and balance impairment. The modulation of gene expression for just a brief period has shown the potential for significant developments in inner-ear sensory hair cell replacement therapy.
“We are all at risk of losing these cells,” said Rocha-Sanchez. “Genetic deafness affects roughly three out of every 1,000 births. Genetically-induced hearing loss and deafness can also be progressive in nature, worsening as we grow older. And as we age, regardless of any specific genetic predisposition, regular wear and tear of sensory hair cells can cause them to die. Noise is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. If you attend lots of rock ’n’ roll concerts or turn up the volume in your earbuds, you start losing lots of those sensory cells and they can’t be brought back. We’ve also seen that balance is heavily affected by the loss of these cells. Some individuals who have lost a significant amount of sensory hair cells in the vestibular organs, the part of the inner ear controlling balance and equilibrium, are unable to walk on their own two feet any longer.”
Rocha-Sanchez reported that in a two-week period of lessening the expression of the RB1 gene in transgenic mice, inner-ear cells have regrown without adverse side effects previously observed in other retinoblastoma mouse models. Rocha-Sanchez and her team are continuing to work with the model they developed to see what the implications are for regrowth of the inner-ear cells in the mammalian inner ear. And, other researchers have become interested in exploring the potential of Rocha-Sanchez’s mouse model for their own research.
“We’re very excited about what this means for inner-ear research, but also for the other options it opens up in gene modulation crossover and in other areas of research, including cancer research,” Rocha-Sanchez said. “Although preliminary, we think the chances are great that this can be, eventually, translated into human therapies.”
Source: Creighton University, Creighton School of Dentistry; Newswise
Photo credits: Creighton University; © Monkey Business Images Ltd | Dreamstime
This is so amazing. My ENT told me about this. Dr.Poe who is world known. The fact that this is possible and I could see this in my life time is so hopeful. I would donate to confine this ground breaking research.
I am 50 years old and had high fevers as a newborn. I have no hearing in my right ear and now have hearing lose in my left ear. Please consider me a candid for your study.
Hi,
I just went to see audiologist and has advised me that my inner ear hair cells has been damaged and nothing can be done about it except wearing hearing aids. It am devastated as I am only 38 and needs to wear devices and saddened knowing that there’s no medical treatment that could help me regain my hearing. At this point of my age, there are still a lot of things I wanted to do professionally and a mother which now blocking with this I feel as an impairment. After reading this research, I felt some hope that there could be some cure and will be praying this can be done. I am interested to be part of this clinical trials and hoping to know the research progress.
I know how you feel. I am only 23 and I have been diagnosed with mild sensorineural hearing loss which is most likely congenital, because unknowingly I have been living with this condition for years. I have trouble hearing mostly on communication frequencies. It is the hardest to hear clearly on conference speaker used at my workplace and on distances higher than about 8ft(~2.5m). My only consolation at the moment is that there are some hearing aids so small that they are nearly invisible. But I would volunteer my ears for Doctor Rocha-Sanchez and her team as a human subject, and if the experiment works I’d try for.
I had high fevers when I was a child and the hairs in my ear was damaged.I would like to be one of you trial members to test this out.I wear hearing aids.And am able to travel.
Sign me up for human trials plz. Had great hearing for 69 years until recently, a loud bang damaged my hearing both ears. I can still hear but a bit distorted and its embarrassing to constantly ask one to “please say that again”.
Thanks
Thank you so much for your research and development. I suffer from loss of my inner ear hair cells and it clearly effects my social life and all forms of communication. Your article excites me and gives me hope. Just know there are many like myself praying and hoping that your research continues to show positive results. Thank you and good luck!
Thank you for doing much needed research in this area. Tinnitus is a huge problem with no solution at present. I truly believe that losing the ability to enjoy silence is a particularly cruel thing. Sleep is the only respite. Good luck with your research. CW
Congratulations! This research has given me hope. I’m not deaf, but I have trouble hearing and the doctor said that my cochlea has been moderately damaged, specifically the hair cells. Please do let us know about it. I am really hopeful for this research! More power!
Can’t wait! After tests, it was found that the tiny hairs in my ears have been reduced. I have hearing in both ears but one ear is at about 50%. My hearing ability is at around 14K frequency which is is considered normal for my 62 yr old body but the tinnitus is in both ears and bothersome. I am trying noise therapy from a YouTube audio upload but while it seemed to work well the first time consecutive use didn’t seem to matter.
I believe I had read a similar study/finding back in 2003 from some scientists at Harvard. So, 13 years later, it sounds like we’re not much closer to any actual human benefit or trials. My daughter has bilateral moderate/severe hearing loss caused by enlarged vestibular aqueducts. Her clarity worsens all the time, and she hears few consonants. Wishing you luck and success. By all means, if you start human trials, let us know.
I agree. I began suffering from high frequency sensory hearing loss 16 years ago. It started with Tinnitus. Doctors had no answers then as to why. I was not overly exposed to loud noises, drugs, sickness or hereditary hearing issues. I was 27 years old and in great health. It was very discouraging. They handed me some pamphlets, showed a movie on coping, suggested hearing aids and said learn to live with it. I began research on hair cell regeneration and found much of the same information which exists today, yet somehow it is deemed a “breakthrough” 15 years later. My hearing got progressively worse so 10 years later (2010) I finally decided to go back to the doctors as my hearing loss was having serious effects on my personal and professional relationships. I was now living in a different city and the doctors had no history on my condition. I received the exact same information from these doctors and watched the exact same movie from 10 years prior. If I was to go back now, I feel confident it would be the same. I hate to think it the case, but it is almost as if doctors and medical professionals in the field do not want a “cure” discovered, because of loss of patients and subsequent revenue from treatment and hearing aid sales. I have many family members and friends in the medical field so I have become much more in tune with the BUSINESS of medicine. Very sad. Hearing loss and deafness is a horrible affliction, which affects every part of the sufferers life and puts huge limits on our ability to develop and nurture meaningful relationships with friends, family and professional associates. It has to be one of the biggest confidence killers I have ever dealt with and witnessed from others who suffer. I was extremely hopeful when I first heard of hair cell regeneration and the noted possibilities. However, given the current rate of development in this field I do not feel I will live long enough to see the therapy and cure actually come to fruition. I can only hope the options and outlook better for my children, should they inherit any of my hearing issues.
Hello. Do you know if this would benefit someone who has a cochlear implant? I was told at the time of the surgery that any cochlear “hair” that was healthy would die and forever be lost. My son, who is now 12, was implanted at age 1.6 years. We have a love/hate relationship with the cochlear implant. My son also is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and autism, he is non-verbal–could be because he doesn’t wear his processor consistently. We don’t know. I am always searching for a “cure” for him so he can hear as I do, I know it would make for him such a different life. Do you know if and when you may be ready for a trial with humans? It would be life changing for my son. Thank you for your commitment to restoring hearing.
Hi Vicki,
I believe a human trial related to this study is still several years away, unfortunately. Also, I just wanted to clarify that the hair cells are lost on the implanted side because the internal electrode must be placed where the hair cells are located in the inner ear, thus the electrode permanently replaces the hair cells there. Therefore, the implanted side/ear would not be a candidate for hair cell regeneration. However, if the opposite ear has not been implanted, there may be hair cells intact in the un-implanted side. We continue to cross our fingers for a hair cell regeneration trial in the coming years.
Dear Rocha-Sanchez
First of all my best wishes to u for your ongoing research. I congratulate you and your team members for yous success.
M myself a doctor and wud luv to be the part of your team. M having the tinnitus frm last 2 years.Nw being the doctor and also the patient in this case i think i can understand the problem well. If by any means i cud be the part of your team,it would be a great honour for me..!!Do email me. Revolution Waiting…!!!
Hi
My daungter is a deaf from birth ( profound deaf) as i was suffering a measles when I was pregnant before, She is now 19 years old.I got worried as I observed her, there are times she keeps telling me that she wants to hear a sound, she wants to sing and she wants to play the piano, it really breaks my heart while looking at her while doing a sign language, she even ask me to look on the miracles in the you tube and let my self pray over her , hoping that right after I pray , she even told me, its better not to be smart than not to hear, again it braeks my heart and I just cry when Im alone and it worroes me further ..as sometimes she get depress and sad, then again she said its better to be blind than not to hear..How I wish I can have a cochlear implant fir her but Im a single mom, who doesnt even have a job for now I just hope oneday soon that your research will be successful and my daughter can be a candidate of a clinical trial on your research..hopefull of this research.Thanks so much.God bless on your research.
Ruby, while it may be a struggle for your daughter to face barriers within the Hearing World, she is a gift to the Deaf Community. She is still young and discovering her own identity, and being deaf will NEVER hold her back. There are amazing communities in the United States that embrace the Deaf Community, such as Washington D.C. and Austin, Texas. The well-known Deaf university is located in Washington D.C., Gallaudet, where many Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Hearing students have attended with full access to American Sign Language. Your daughter is capable of a lot more than she knows!
Ruby,
I am in hopes that even though your post is a couple of years old, that this message will somehow still reach you. You mentioned that you are a single mom and cannot afford cochlear implants for your daughter. Hopefully by now, you or she, being she would be older now, have discovered that there is a lot of assistance and programs to help your daughter to obtain implants. I have a granddaughter that is deaf and I have all the information to direct you or your daughter for that assistance. If your daughter is still in need of help, please let me know and I will make sure you get that info. I hope and pray that all is well with your daughter. Blessings. Charla
I am an Australian citizen. And I have deafness in my left ear and imbalance everytime I moved. I always feel dizzy in short I have VERTIGO,the doctors and specialists have done all the test necessary: CITI scan, blood test, MRI, hearing test in which my left ear fails, as per the doctor I have zero% of getting my hearing back. And I told the doctor ” I have faith and hope that one day I will get it back. And I found hope in this article. Hoping it will become available to the public soon. Please include me in your list for the test.
Thank you in advance…
This technology should have been out years ago. Why are we only now starting to dabble in this area?
Once we can perfect this, there will be limited need for hearing aids 🙂
This is great! I’ve been deaf in my right ear for 4 years now since a Q tip was shoved in. Only thing I hear now is a loud ringing. I would love to sign up for possible human trials if possible.
My name is Fred Schweser, and I have about a 50% hearing
loss….I live in Omaha, and would love to be a candidate for
human trials when they are available. Please put my name on your list ….thankyou….
Great news! I hope human clinical trials are underway. I would love to volunteer.
I have been suffering from deafness at my left ear since childhood uptill now not long ago i consult a doctor and he said it was due to choclea cell damage in my left ear …after hearing this i loss my hope that i will be able to hear properly like others again as he say it cant be regenerate ….so please suggest me things that will help to regenerate this cell
i have a cochlear implant but can’t use it due to facial nerve stimulation. If in the near future your treatment is available would it work in my situation where the cochlea has been damaged by insertion of implant? Thanks you. Pauline.
I have been totally deaf in my left ear for many years. I lost my hearing due to a skull fracture that resulted in a severed nerve. Please, please is there anything possible regarding treatments or experiments where I could possibly get my hearing back? It is so frustrating, and at times depressing for me. I would willingly volunteer to help others as well as myself to get my hearing back. Here’s hoping you can help.
Regards,
Peter Beale
May I know how much time it will take to complete the research.
Any breakthroughs yet?
Hi Christopher,
There haven’t been any recent breakthroughs in this research, and likely won’t be for some time yet, though the work continues. Here is a link to Dr. Rocha-Sanchez’s profile and list of publications, so you can follow her progress: https://dentistry.creighton.edu/directory/sonia-rocha-sanchez
Thanks for your comment and your readership!
Thank you Dr. Sanchez for your hardwork.
I had sensorineural hearing loss in April 2015. Although I gained most of my hearing back but I am suffering tinnitus constantly 24/7.
Is there any kinds of programs or trial to get cell regeneration that I can get into?
Thank you for your efforts, as I have Genetic Nerve Deafness and ear ringing, and the ear doctor told me there is no help. We need you.
Thanks for your hard work Dr Sanchez. Can I get on any kinds of programs or trial to get cell regeneration? I am a veteran and have hearing loss, menieres, imbalance/vertigo.
Incredible stuff. Congratulations to Dr Rocha-Sanchez and her team for the results achieved so far. Millions of people around the work are given hope by their hard work.
Its not only the tinnitus its the anxiety, depression and insomnia. Ive lost 40 lbs. I will not end up in a hospital for the rest of my life. I grew up on a ranch in the great outdoors.I would take the means necessary to leave all the pain and depression. What I dont understand is there are over 50,000.000 with this sickness. Theres not one anti-ototoxic sleep med not one real tinnitus med for relief. The meds available are killing the ill at a quicker rate. The FDA and the US gov should be ashamed of themselves. All the sufferind nd suicides. Best country in the world?
I lost most all hearing ability in one ear instantaneously, called, Sudden Sensenorial Hearing Loss(SSHL) about 6 years ago. Would this cell therapy work to restore hearing for me and thousands of others?
I hope you can enroll this soon as if there is no cure for my acoustic trauma induced tinnitus I will have to resort to suicide to finally enjoy silence again, please get this going soon, I’m not the only one who feels this way, many others have expressed this and did in fact take their own life. So for the sake of all who suffer from this condition please make this work and fast, as in have it done by the March 2017! Thank You!
It is well known that depression leading to suicide can be caused by hearing loss and tinnitus. Anyone with symptoms of depression or contemplating suicide should seek out medical and mental health professionals who are knowledgeable about these matters. There are also resources, support groups, and a lot of options. Often, a local chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America can be a life-saving resource for getting advice from people who are overcoming the very same types of problems. Many of these members have witnessed the “depths of despair” over hearing loss and tinnitus, and are now “paying it forward” for those who helped them out. But we also urge you see a qualified professional (eg, medical doctor, psychiatrist, and an audiologist or ENT) and describe your physical and mental challenges to them in depth. For immediate support, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 1-800-273-8255.
My son is 2 years old. He is suffering from hearing problem. He is having 90db loss on both ears. Now hearing aids and speech therapy are the solution for him, but kindly please advise me when your research will complete, and when we will get results.
After reading the letters people have written, I think a solution for today could be a cochlear implant. I suffer from Meniere’s syndrome. I lost my hearing in my right ear at age 8. At 35 I started to develop progressive hearing loss in my left ear. I had symptoms of tinnitus in the first few years. That stopped, but no dizziness. I stopped listening to music 12 years ago. Now at 62 I have a hearing aid on my left ear and a cochlear implant on my right. The cochlear implant I can only describe as reviving the dead. It is not perfect, but I would be lost without it.
I hope that by the time I am 85 I will have perfect hearing again. I wish so much to enjoy and listen to music again and joining into group conversation. Please try hard with your research. We are counting on you!
I lost my hearing a year ago last November, the day after I left a 4-day hospital stay for Atrial Fibrillation. No cause for my hearing loss has been identified (with bouts of dizziness.) I would be very interested in when human testing begins for this procedure.
Dr. Duckert has helped me with ear infections and did surgery placing a permanent tube and strengthening ear drum. Unfortunately tube fell out and my hearing has worsened. I have lost four expensive hearing aids of which I can not afford to replace at this time. My insurance said they may make an exception allowing me to get cochlear implants. I have tintinis as well. Look at history on UW for history of ear problems. I have a thick head of hair so I doubt there is a shortage in my ears, lol. But please check photos as I recently had an ear appointment with Dr Duckert. I am participating in Pet Scan research at UW and certainly would try anything to improve my hearing. Thank you for your consideration.
[email protected] reading is better way for me to process info.
I am a veteran and a retired Federal Agent of 25 1/2 YRS. During that time I was exposed to much firearm training causing me to lose my hearing and I have high-def loss. Please contact me for any trial, I would like to be considered. Thank You.
My child was late diagnosed by pediatricians and mainly by an audiologist working in renowned hospital. He is diagnosed as ANSD. I request you to kindly tell me the advancement in this field. I am looking forward to it. I am a regular follow up. Please give my child normal hearing.
Wonderful news. If in the future there are clinical trials I would be happy to participate.
Hi,
I understand the difficulty of my question, but what is your estimate: how much more time would you “guess” is needed before clinical applications are ready? I know, it’s a wild guess and I won’t hold you responsible for it 🙂
Thanks.
I know some researchers who believe there may be a “first application” treatment that could emerge in the next 10 years, and certainly there are companies developing treatments that are hoped to be available in that time frame. Others think that a 10-20 year window is more likely, and it should be cautioned (either way) that these may not represent “a cure” for hearing loss, but rather offer only partial restoration of inner and/or outer hair cells. However, even that would be a huge step forward (eg, hearing care clinicians would LOVE to have patients who have no recruitment [sensitivity to loud sounds] issues–or have the ability to bring a severe-to-profound loss into a moderate loss range).
I am suffering hearing loss in both the ears due to Streptomycin injection taken for Tuberculosis disease suffered during my college days. I am 57 years old now. I would like to restore my normal hearing as I am not comfortable with the hearing aid. Doctors told me my hair cells are dead and hence I could not have normal hearing at the moment. Kindly let me know the progress of hair cell regeneration research. I would like to undergo that treatment if it is successful.
Research on hair cell regeneration in the inner ear to restore hearing is still ongoing and, unfortunately, there is not yet a clinical application (treatment) for humans.
Hi, I’m 21 and I have moderate hearing loss in both ears. I’m really excited for this…I hope it won’t take much longer. How many years would it take to be finished–5 yrs? 10 yrs? 2 yrs ? Maybe I’m hoping. And how much would it cost if it is already available? How much is the procedure? So that i could tell my parents about this…just give me an idea pls…right now I’m wearing hearing aids…and it’s hard to find a job bc of this. Thanks. Your reply would be a big help.
I too suffer with sensorineural hearing loss – diagnosed at age 48. Like many, I am desperate for help. Is it possible for you to post an update to this article. How is the science progressing?
Hi Nigel,
Thanks for your comment. Dr Rocha-Sanchez and team have not yet published any updates on this research study (check for her updates here: https://dentistry.creighton.edu/directory/sonia-rocha-sanchez), but we’d like to make you aware of other research studies that Hearing Review has covered, which are investigating how to restore hearing. It is an exciting time for this area of research, and there is no telling which group’s research will be the first to translate to clinical treatments! Here are links to some other cell regeneration studies on HR:
https://hearingreview.com/2015/05/scientists-closer-generating-sensory-hair-cells-hearing/
https://hearingreview.com/2014/07/neural-stem-cell-discovery-may-aid-treatment-research-deafness/
https://hearingreview.com/2014/02/researchers-regenerate-hair-cells-mice-hearing-damage/
https://hearingreview.com/2015/12/molecule-discovery-may-help-advance-hearing-restoration/
https://hearingreview.com/2015/10/scientists-identify-genes-responsible-inner-ear-development/
I am suffering from tinnitus. I can sleep most nights, as the noise I have in my left ear is a cricket noise (which is a typical night sound in tropical countries like where I come from.) It only bothers me when I am in quiet places. I still pray that your research will continue to explore how to regenerate my inner ear hairs, as I understand that the cause of the tinnitus sounds is inner ear damage as I get older. I am just 52 so I think I still have the possibility of regenerating it. Thanks.
Dear Ms. Sonia M. Rocha-Sanchez,
I have partial hearing loss in both the ears due to Streptomycin injection. Though I am using a hearing aid in one of the ears, I am not comfortable in hearing, nor am I comfortable in communication. I would like to restore normal hearing and I would like to know the status of hair cell regeneration research being undertaken by you. Kindly help me in restoring my hearing. (I am living in India.)
I’ve had tinnitus since 1989 due to a severe ear infection. The loud ringing in both of my ears causes me to not sleep at night (usually 1 or 2 hours of sleep and some nights not at all). I would be willing to be a patient for experimental purposes to know if this research can help me. Please e-mail me if I can be a volunteer for this worthy medical effort.
What are we waiting for? So many people are willing to try this. I will try it. I have had tinnitus for 4 months, and it is loud. Why wait till it gets worse? I am 61 years old. We need it now, not ten years from now.
Will this possibly lead to a resource for those of us who have had tinnitus for years? It only gets worse for me, though rest seems to be the most effective therapy 🙂 Thanks, Matt
My 2 year old son suffers from severe hearing loss. It seems like the only viable option for the time being for him are the Cochlear Implants. Otherwise, he might not be able to learn to understand language and to speak. I am interested to know – when would such a regeneration therapy be applicable – in 5-10 years, in 20 years more? Would it be applicable for patients who already have a Cochlear Implant?
Hello Ms. Dimitrova,
It is my understanding that cell regeneration therapy is still several years away from being ready for clinical use–possibly 10 years out, but hard to say. If you would like your son to be able to understand language, and to develop spoken language, the experts generally advise immediate therapy with a hearing instrument/cochlear implant so that he receives sound stimulation from the earliest age possible. I have heard that some parents choose to only use a cochlear implant for their child on one side so that the other ear is unaltered for future therapies that may become available in the coming years. However, as I am not an expert, this is something to discuss with your child’s audiologist and otologist–they should be able to offer the most current information, protocols, and guidance.
It’s great to read of the progress being made by Rocha-Sanchez’s team in developing a therapy to restore sensory hair cells in the cochlear. I have bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (with one ear worse than the other) so I’m always keen to know of the latest research developments.
Another aspect to restoring hearing is the auditory nerve, which apparently can deteriorate once the sensory hair cells have declined as it no longer receives same stimulus. That would mean that hair cell regeneration is but one step in restoring hearing.
Considerations of the auditory nerve and other aspects of the auditory system aside, I wonder how long until there are clinical trials of a therapy involving the RB1 gene. Is there a timeline, even an estimate?
Good luck with your research and I look forward to learning of new developments.
Maybe useful for you?
https://pioneersresearch.org/node/182#
Hi
I am suffering from sensorineural hearing loss in my right ear which happened due to herpes zoster auticus. I am 28 years old. Is there any way by which I can restore my hearing? My ear isn’t completely dead but I can’t talk on the phone. Please suggest!
Hi Sam,
While researchers are working on finding a way to restore hearing through cell regeneration, they have not yet arrived at a clinical solution. However, your hearing loss can likely be treated and it is recommended that you see an ear, nose and throat specialist and a licensed hearing care professional (audiologist) to get proper treatment. A hearing aid would allow you to hear the things you are missing and possibly to speak on the phone again. I’m not sure of your location, but if you are in the U.S., you can find a licensed audiologist through the American Academy of Audiology at this link: http://webportal.audiology.org/Custom/FindAnAudiologist.aspx
I, too, am hearing impaired on both ears and use a hearing aid. I thought my experience might be useful to you. 1) A hearing aid may not, in most cases, restore full hearing; 2) They amplify the sound but not necessarily clarity. BANDWAGON may be heard as DANDGAGAN and you will spend your minutes trying to decipher it rather than participate in conversation; 3) If telephone conversation is important, look for and choose something that is compatible with a telephone instrument. Ordinary hearing aids interfere with the telephone; 4) High-end versions are not necessarily superior. Their additional high-tech features may not address your specific hearing needs.
While I accept that your research report is accurate and that the people doing this research are competent, I am reminded that this yet another report that offers hope but unfortunately little else.
I suffer from profound sensory neural hearing loss and wish that there is a kind of therapy that I can do for myself that can “express” the retino-blastoma gene or “modulate the expression” and find a way to improve my own hearing. Nice scientific terms, but can that be trusted? So I wonder if the money for the PhD research done here is worth the remedies that can help somebody like me.
Don’t forget we live in a world where pharmaceutical companies sell expensive and useless drugs, and Dr. Oz’s selling herbal remedies for anything that is incurable. I was told to take massive doses of Ginko Baloba for tinnitus. Etc, etc. When are we going to get something rational? Thanks for helping.
Agree on your comments on unscrupulous pharmas Cos.
My 7 year old grandson has Norrie Disease and was born blind because the disease interferes with the vascular system and the blood supply. We now know that he will lose his hearing – lack of blood supply to the inner ear hair cells. We, the family, are hoping that this research will, in time, be able to restore these vital hair cells and thus restore hearing. We would be extremely grateful if you could advise whether this would be a possibility, as opposed to the use of hearing aids or cochlea implants.
Dear Ms. Dickinson,
Thank you for the inquiry you posted on behalf of your grandson. While the investigation at Creighton University on regenerating hair cells of the inner ear is very promising, it is still in the preliminary laboratory research phase, and likely will not be ready for clinical trials in humans for some years. Until that time, it is my understanding that the use of hearing aids/cochlear implants is still the recommended treatment to ensure your grandson receives sound stimulation. We hope clinical trials occur sooner than later, and we shall continue to post updates of any progress on The Hearing Review website.
We wish you and your family the best of luck.