Human Hearing Loss Could Be Reversible

Article posted today from "The Atlantic". I found it through the "Hearing Health Foundation page" I follow on Facebook.

Wish there was also this kind of focus on auditory nerve fiber/spiral ganglion neuron damage....

Link: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/07/human-hearing-loss-could-be-reversible/491777/

 

I sure wish Science would hurry up sometimes...

 

It's always great to read all that.

You'll learn more about the Notch approach here :

Hearing Restoration Summit: Andy Groves, Ph.D....

In this 2012 video, Andy Groves explains that blocking the Notch signal allows the supporting cells to transform into hair cells. But this is only possible in very young mice (equivalent to a 5-6 months human foetus), so in 2012 they were trying to understand how to make that possible in older animals.

I'm sure certain companies are working hard on the subject but can't tell about it yet. However, it's fuc**** complicated so let's not get our hopes too high. But let's have hope.

 

If anyone needs anything Dutch translated (since Audion Therapeutics is a Dutch company) hook me up.

What I found about them:

Audion Therapeutics is building on research from the Edge laboratory of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI). Audion’s lead program focuses on small-molecule drugs that trigger the regeneration of hair cells in the inner ear. Audion has exclusive rights to MEEI-developed technology and the IP portfolio comprises molecules and drug-discovery tools for hearing and hearing-loss research.

It is a very small company though. And 8,3 mln euro's of funding might not be enough to succesfully develop such a major discovery.

If you look here it's part of the Horizon2020 programme which funds these types of researches.

The due date for the project is november 2018.

http://www.narcis.nl/research/RecordID/OND1358497/Language/nl

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/07/human-hearing-loss-could-be-reversible/491777/

 

Here's part of the problem:

https://www.statnews.com/2015/12/13/clinical-trials-investigation/

https://www.statnews.com/2016/06/29/biden-clinical-trials-cancer/

 

So currently there are these organizations:

• Decibel Therapeutics
• SciFluor (SF0034)
• Frequency Therapeutics
• Audion Therapeutics
• Novartis/GenVec (CGF166)
• Auris Medical (AM-101, AM-102, AM-111)
• Otonomy (OTO-311)
• Autifony (if they are still doing something?)
• UCSF (Steven Cheung and deep brain stimulation)

All working on solving Tinnitus and/or reversing hearing loss. You would say something useful would come out of it in the near future.

 

As long as there is action-reaction what is the effect of taking drugs on the long term? If taking a drug might cure my T, but loses my hearing over a period of 10 years why should I take it? Also with this research. If a drug restores you hearing but gives you T over a period of 10 years why should you take it. People can (partially) live with diminished hearing (through a hearing aid). Second, if you take those drugs what are the long term effects of it. Most medical research shows short term benefits.
There is so much that we don't know. I'm very glad with the activity, better than none but I'm afraid of multiplying problems in stead of curing them.

 

Also the University of Kyoto and Boehringer Ingelheim
http://asia.nikkei.com/Tech-Science...-drugmaker-to-research-hearing-loss-treatment
They are working in a drug to treat hearing loss.
and we need to remember that this guys in the university of kyoto were the one who....
New Stem Cell Transplantation Method Restores Damaged Auditory Pathways
http://ata.org/news/news/new-stem-cell-transplantation-method-restores-damaged-auditory-pathways

i have high hopes in this one.
Look how many scientist are working on it, and still there are people claming that nobody is doing anything, or that maybe in 100 years lol

There is Hope!

 

@Mario martz Well tell them to hurry it up already!!!

 

To be honest this is what i pray for everyday
a soon relief for all of us, and to be honest there a reasons to be excited and have hope.
there are people in here that has had T/Hyperacusis for more than 20 years.
and back in the day there was no forum, no studies, no trials no nothing.

we are some how "lucky" and with more chances for a potencial treatment in the short term.
lets keep praying and pushing.

 

@Mario martz
Yes, me too. Lets hope our prayers are answered for all.
I couldn't imagine how terrible it would have been to go to the doctor 20 years ago with T or H.
It's bad enough today; I couldn't imagine what was said in the past.

It's a blessing we can talk to each other; it is nice to be linked with people that understand.
So, thank you to each and everyone of you that lifted my hope and helped me along the way! I feel like my T has become worse over time, but I have in a way become numb to it to function. I still find myself crying frequently and missing my old self.
And a big thank you to whomever in the future finds a cure/treatment to help all of us.

 

Lets hope for better days to come

 

This is most certainly true. I remember I was searching the internet during the first few weeks of my first bout of Tinnitus in 2010, because I was in great distress. Let me tell you; it was quite a wasteland. There was no Otonomy, Decibel, Auris Medical or whatever. I was blessed it went away on its own back then. Also, there were no scientifically supported treatments to try (for some types of tinnitus) like ACRN or notched noise therapy. 2010 is just a few years ago. Today, the research companies regarding the development of inner-ear treatments are popping up like mushrooms all over the world. It is booming.

I guess we have good reason to be optimistic.

 

Tinnitus Research: 1970-2013
Total number of tinnitus research articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals during each 5-year period.

 

I remember when I got T there was little to no help just anecdotal stories on Google and that was it,I had to find people with T and ask them for advice in my locality which all later turned out to be shitty advice that worked for them but not for me.

Either way right now is an amazing opportunity for everyone here,if we were to go back to 1980 there was literally zero help or hope but fast forward to 2016 and there's people being relieved of MS thanks to Stemcells,something unthinkable only a few years ago.Keep hope alive!

 

May I ask why you never followed through with your stemcell treatment bill? How's your T these days?

 

It's a good progression, but it's still very low compared to other conditions.

If you go to pubmed, you'll find the following number of publications for the following keywords:
tinnitus -> 10642
alopecia -> 18415
multiple sclerosis -> 66168
alzheimer -> 86827
cancer -> 3329722

Yes, figuring out a way to get rid of our bald spots gets about twice as much attention as tinnitus. I want to go see a bald guy and tell him "wanna trade?".

The American Tinnitus Association has funded research to the tune of $6M, over the course of the past 35 years. That's $170k/year. How much do you think that covers? It covers about one guy full time in a lab. That's it. Not two. One.

One telling fact on the British Tinnitus Association website is that when they show videos about research, it's always the same researcher (Dr Roland Schaette) featured. One guy. He's the man! I'm sure he's making progress, but he's only one! In one of his videos he even mentions that he wants to move forward, but he is unsure about the future as he needs funding.

This research needs to scale up. We need awareness and funds. Funds will come with awareness.

 

Ding ding ding!!!

 

My T and H are still unbearable Stefan if I'm honest.

As for the Stemcell treatment I'm struggling to find a reputable clinic offering somewhat of a genuine treatment.I constantly find clinics and of course me being the sceptic that I am do backround checks only to be not impressed with what I find.
Also none and I mean none of these clinics are offering a targeted treatment but more so are attempting to shotgun the problem which isn't something I agree with,I can't see how pumping cells into my body may regenerate spiral ganglion cells near the brain,I can't see how that would work.It is possible to regenerate these cells as proven in I believe a University in Tokyo but that was targeted specifically and not pumped into the body and just hoping for the best.
Basically I'm not convinced nor impressed by what's currently being offered,it's all a cash grab on a new science by uneducated money hoares from what I can see so far.

I haven't given up on it yet but more so waiting on the right legit clinic or service to be available that ticks all the boxes,this shit ain't cheap unfortunately.