Anc80 is a synthetic viral vector recently developed at Mass. Eye and Ear. It has just been reported to be successful in penetrating hard-to-reach outer hair cells (OHC) in gene based therapies. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-02/bch-gtr020117.php The same vector has recently been successfully used in treating Usher syndrome in mouse models, a syndrome that causes deafness and blindness. The second column in the picture below displays mutation in Usher syndrome in mice. This vector also has potential to treat liver diseases and retinal forms of blindness. So much so that Selecta - a biotech company developing gene therapies for these diseases - has made an exclusive license with Massachusetts Eye and Ear last year to use Anc80 in their products.
From what I can tell there are currently no human trials that use Anc80 yet. But since Selecta has shown interest in it, albeit for other diseases, it may not be long before we see it used in human trials to treat hearing loss. "Selecta intends to combine Anc80 with SVP-Rapamycin (SEL-110), a proprietary immunomodulatory therapeutic" to treat Methylmalonic Acidemia. Their pipeline shows they are still at discovery stage with this product. I fear that the exclusive license deal will prevent other companies from using the Anc80 vector to treat hearing loss. Unless of course Selecta itself starts developing a hearing loss treatment themselves. I have not studied the deal in detail. But this new vector seems like a promising option for future studies.
Yeah like every time 10 to 20 years for human trial and if works other 10 to 20 years for a treatment , that is tinnitus and hyperacusiss the most mysterious condition in the world.
The link that you posted says this: "Under the agreement, Selecta secures an exclusive license to the Anc80 technology for a rare genetic disease and has options for additional pre-defined indications in the areas of lysosomal storage diseases, genetic muscular diseases and genetic metabolic diseases." So this does not preclude someone else having a license for hearing loss. The actual paper can be found here: http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/nbt.3781.pdf
ANC80 is just a vehicle, guys. The thornier issue when it comes to tinnitus is the cargo. In other words, what genes might you turn up, down or insert to improve the quality of signaling between the ear and the brain? Sure, ANC80 can more efficiently deliver its payload across the cochlear spiral and to both OHCs and IHCs but it's just a better vehicle, not a solution in and of itself. Without a strong candidate gene that can be packaged into the ANC80 vector there is zero motivation to undertake a trial.
Twice as long as half its size? What are you trying to cure? Hereditary tinnitus? Or tinnitus caused by hearing loss? My guess is that this particular virus will be used in humans by year 2020, and first human biochemical restoration of hearing using this or other modalities will happen by year 2023.
My guess is the virus will be used in 2019 and someone (maybe will less hearing loss) will have hearing resorted in 2020 in a clinical trial or overseas but full restoration for the average will be in 2022 and beyond. A very small minority will not have their hearing restored in their lifetimes (2040 and beyond). This is a global race with huge bragging right and money and science is easier to replicate then its ever been. I know we are all assuming a safe calculated slow FDA testing approach to hearing restoration but that is not necessarily the approach every lab will take especially with whats at stake.
