Cochlear Implant + Gene Therapy = Regrowth of Auditory Nerve?

Perhaps this represents an advance in one particular area of research...

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/6...h-gene-therapy-improve-hearing-in-animals.htm

 

this technique looks like the american technique right?

 

But it's an Australian one ;-)

 

Actually in the strictest sense the technique is without a "nationality". But as you noted Australian researchers are performing the experiments. Perhaps if successful someone somewhere will be issued a patent and the forces of capitalism will shift to high gear. Sorry just couldn't help myself

 

hehe, ofcourse, I am just jokeing ....while suffering.... :-(
I am happy about every advance, don't care about nationality...

USA, Australia even Switzerland has excellent research.
I like US research, because they have great vision. In Europe, most is about "careful" optimistic.

 

Is it just me or this is a huge breakthrough?

 

This has actually been done without the use of a C.I but access is limited in humans but it can be done.Scientists bent the auditory nerve in mice and severely damaged it.After treatment hearing was restored to near normal levels in the mice with near normal brainstem evoke responses.Stanford University are also researching this as part of their hearing restoration programme.Tom you are correct european research is excellent but their attitude is slowly does it while American researchs attitude is lets just get it done.

 

1. Cochlear "Nucleus": Australian brand, where they're doing this "Gene-Therapy" research. There are also different models - so how does one choose? Drs do. (Lose all residual hearing after implant w/ other possible irreversible outcomes).
2. Advanced Bionics: American brand (again, likely to lose all residual hearing).
3. Med-El: Austrian brand. The only cochlear implant w/ facts to preserve residual hearing, as the electrodes are of a "flexible" material vs hard metal electrodes of the other two.
They are NOT for tinnitus. Sure, some cases...lo and behold it suppressed some, who had a bit of "T", however main reason for CIs are for those who do NOT benefit at all from hearing aids. Once implanted, it is VERY difficult to get a MRI scan, means only the radiation CTscans. Also, one CANNOT have any other electrical current therapy for tinnitus, facials or what-not.
Australia research quote: "There are different types of hearing loss and it depends on which part of the path between the brain and the ear is damaged. People with cochlear implants have the damage in the cochlea."
They did not disclose about them also implanting children with OTHER inner-ear deformities (100k to taxpayers), dysfunctional auditory nerve, cochlea asplasia etc. that often have poor results = Great research, grant experiments!! These poor patients react from CIs as if one is sitting in a quiet room and someone said "Blech! Bloop!" You jump right? (Parents misinterpret this to true hearing when their babies are startled. However, they often become frustrated later when their child is not developing oral language as expected (those w/ congenital issues).
Many people have inquired for info. CI companies will NOT provide statistics-data of success rate from implanted patients of OTHER inner-ear deformities, only of those who do succeed. (Great marketing ploy- just like those weight-loss supplements on TV). They'll throw-out a percentage. I'd stick with waiting to regrow "gene-therapy" cilia hairs without a CI for tinnitus/hyperacusis. If you can wear an aid(s) or a device and get an experienced professional in the field of "Tinnitus Therapy" to adjust them for "masking", is the SAFEST method so far.

 

Apparently, it's possible.

 

I do not understand how electrical pulses send DNA to the desired locations in the cochlea.
Is it like stimulating something to "guide" the DNA?
"In their study, the researchers were able to use electrical pulses delivered from the cochlear implants to send a DNA solution to cells close to the implanted electrodes".

 

Take my money to do it.

 

http://www.nanoci.org/news/index.php