Inner Ear Hair Cell Regeneration — Maybe We Can Know More

I think some places do, attheedge was supposed to post about it but left, but it's not really targeted at the ear, per se, I think. I don't think there are many places that can guarantee a 30 db improvement.

@Aaron keep us updated after you chat with the professors.

 

I got in touch with them. They said the procedure is quite easy and has been done on the actual lab doctor himself. I am seriously considering going through with this, if only there were more success stories out there, thats the only thing I worry about.

The specialist said they treat it like a blood transfusion, they would be checking the cells for diseases etc.

 

Im sorry, Im not very familiat with the procedure. Would it help with tinnitus or hearing loss?Do you know the side-effects?

 

My tinnitus is noise induced. I have a degree of hearing loss in my left ear because of loud noise. In other words I am a moron who listened to over the top loud music without protection even though I was warned time and time again.

As for the side effects, well like I said, none recorded because they treat it like a blood transfusion, they would be testing these cells for diseases etc

I'm not surprised China is the place for this, it seems that the West is behind on things like stem cell research due to morality and religion.

I am seriously considering going through with this, I will let you know of proceedings if I end up doing so.

 

its seems that Kiev clinic was taking in patients to cure hearing loss... http://www.hearingaidforums.com/sho...stem-cells-therapy/page2&highlight=stem+cells
....offering very questionable quality, i guess China seems to be better bet. Anyhow, really appreciate for any insights whenever someone goes through this, cause it will take for me another year or two to gather the finances needed. I hope by then its a clear fix for my hearing loss and hyperacusis.

 

I've seen that post before actually, about the person contracting Hepatitis. The specialist I was talking to kept assuring the cells are safe and are tested for diseases. They seem to be taking these adult stem cells rather than embryonic stem cells.

Honestly, at the stage I am in now, I am willing to try this. attheedgeofscience posted that of his somewhat positive improvements, thats enough for me.

 

Hi All,

I partially lost my hearing in the year 2003 and also developed hyperacusis and tinnitus.
Since then, I am doing a lot of internet research concerning inner ear regeneration.

In 2005 were some headlines about "Deafness in guinea pigs cured"....
It was like very good news and hope, I remember I had some tears in my eyes. I also contacted
some of the involved researchers. They all replied very friendly and also very realistic. They didn't told
a time frame when or if there will be a cure for human.

But since this, there have been almost every month some news with new advances or findings.
I guess, the last few years, this field really got major breakthrough. For us as sufferers it is a
light at the end of the tunnel. For me, it raises hope and a good feeling, sometimes I am so depressed about my condition.. I am aware, many years have to come before a possible treatment will be ready.
Closer might be an application in protection for acute treatment of tinnitus and hearing loss.
Every step forward is huge for every bad condition...

Here is a list of some of the companies involved in hair cell regneration. If you
know some more, please add them:

REGENERATION
Soundpharmaceuticals
http://www.soundpharmaceuticals.com
Audion Therapheutics
http://www.audiontherapeutics.com
Roche
http://www.roche.com/de/research_an...rtnering-media/partnering_news-2012-10-10.htm
Novartis
http://ir.genvec.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=124130&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1899711&highlight=

PROTECTION
Otonomy
http://www.otonomy.com
Autifony
http://www.autifony.com
Auris Medical
http://www.aurismedical.com



ORGANISATIONS (there are many many more...)
https://hearinglosscure.stanford.edu
http://hearinghealthfoundation.org/curing_hearing_loss
http://www.otostem.org
http://innerear.ch
http://depts.washington.edu/hearing/
http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/about-us/druk.aspx
https://sites.google.com/site/holtgeleoclab/




All the best Tom

 

A very informative list. There are some fairly new articles on there from Novartis and Audion!

 

Yeah, but what are the results for these places that claim to treat hearing loss with stem cells? To my understanding an audiogram has a margin of error of 10db, so if you get treatment and it's within that it seems to not work. What exactly are these places results?

 

Hi NeoM,

I think it's too early of having a causal result. The stem cell research is in it's starting phase and in labor models.
Nobody know how it works translatet to human. But the fact, that they can grow hair cells in general is quite a big step. The more they go in direction to a mammal mature ear, the more likely it's useful to apply it possible to human. (that's my view as a sufferer, not scientist)
Or another advance is the to grow this hair cells in a culture dish and screen drugs. If a big pharma help drug screening, they could test 1000 of medications.

But it would be interesting to know more about GENVEC's technology. As far as I know, they work
on a virus delivery to trigger genes. This is a rather unique process and called gene therapy.
Also interesting, Genvec liquidated all other of their gene therapies in 2013 because of setbacks
in their other trials on cancer projects.
So after all, I am very surprises they rise again with only 1 project in the pipeline for hearing loss
and got third milestone paymants from big pharma player Novartis.
Does anybody know more about?


Greets Tom

 

I mean I keep hearing about 10 years from places like the Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) and the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss (SICHL), but I don't know how realistic those are because I'm not a researcher. I don't know, it just seems to me that if a treatment would be available within 40 years then within the next 10-20 the research pretty much has to be done or very solid. The HHF on their site, if you take the upper limits, would mean the research would be done in about 13 years.

 

Hi All,

I found this new PDF with a very clear strategy of GENVEC's and Novartis Collaboration.
Looks interesting 36 pages presentation
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MjIwOTMxfENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1

or directly form the Genvec News Page below under what's new
http://ir.genvec.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=124130&p=irol-irhome

Greets Tom

 

Tom, that was simply amazing to read GenVec's portfolio report. I had no idea how far they had come along. Hopefully they will start their trial soon!

 

Hi Hudson,

yes it looks very encouraging and a kind of unique to all other approaches. It's a clear vision of what they want achive. I see it very positive too, but we also have to be careful, things are complicated.
I remember to when I read the Sound Pharmaceuticals Wall Street Transcript in 2003, it looked very optimistic
in timeline, but at least, they are still in preclinical stage with their Regeneration Program, at least on their webpage.
https://www.twst.com/interview/16697
http://soundpharmaceuticals.com

I haven't see something new about their SPI-5557 hair cell restauration.

But with Genvec I am now more optimistic, because they put focus on hearing restoration, all other
project has been dropped. So hopefully, Novartis supports them further.... On the other side, Novartis
urgently needs some new blockbusters, because they will lose patents in the coming few years.

Further more, I downloaded a brand new german abstract about current status of gene therapy and stem cell therapy in the inner ear. So compared to optimistic visions on US-Sites, the german writers are far more cautious especially with timeline, they speak from far future not from 10-20 years...... So it's the question why?

We hope the best!

 

I don't know. However, aren't the best research sites in America? From my understanding the collaboration effort from the Hearing Health Foundation is very recent. As I recall, I think it's only been about 1-2 years so far. I think if the science can get to a point where there are multiple pathways for a possible treatment, if not a cure, within the next 10 to 20 years then probably within the next 30 to 40 years a treatment or cure will happen. Or maybe the genvec trial will prove successful and it will happen sooner.

I would also add that I hope the 10 years that are cited from some places aren't just a fund-raising effort and instead a realistic scenario.

 

New Inner Ear Drug Delivery Device from Draper Lab developed with Massachussets Eye & Ear:
http://www.fiercedrugdelivery.com/s...device-sends-drugs-out-draws-fluid/2014-02-26
I read about this a few years ago, its good to see advances.

 

or even better article
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/02/prweb11571479.htm

 

this is very interesting, thanks for posting looks like Draper is a big entity

 

Audion Therapheutics with Share Holder Elli Lilly clould also be a very innovative way
to help people with hearing loss.
"Audion’s lead Notch program is planned to go into development in the third quarter of 2014 in collaboration with Eli Lilly, an Audion shareholder.
http://www.audiontherapeutics.com/

 

@tomytl I don't know if you have seen this or not, but you were wondering about Genvec and their technology and I was able to find this on their adenovector gene therapy that they want to use.

http://www.genvec.com/download/0602_ARO_Brough.pdf

The biology of that pdf is beyond my scope though, so I cannot really explain anything. lol.

I just wonder when Genvec will begin phase 1 trials.

 

Hi NeoM,
thanks for sharing....uhhh, sounds like rocket science....I knew about the transport with adenoviruses, but I can't imagine if it's highly useful.
I just hope Novartis understands the big potential, and it seems they do, otherwise they would't invest.....(i hope so)
I think they have used their technology for deliver other stuff to other organs, but the therapheutic essence failed to hral some cancer....but the delivery "taxi" was successful.
I ordered their new alert, so I am wondering what comes next.


Greets Tom

 

Ordered their new alert? Do you mean they have an e-mail system where they let you subscribe for new information and news?

Hard to say about the adenovector virus. I think genvec tried that with their pancreatic cancer drug but it wasn't statistically significant in treatment. I remember reading they almost went out of business, their shares dropped to like .70 USD and were almost in the process of liquidating. So who knows how effective it will be in the ear. I do remember reading somewhere the chances of it being effective were pretty low, like 15%.

I think it being demonstrated safe in the ear would be good though. Looking at the pdf you provided though one would think that if it can restore that much hair cells in a human then the results would be pretty significant and been seen right away and noticeable. It's just unfortunate we are in the beginning stages of this type of technology and research.

Kind of makes me wonder if genvec has any other hearing drugs in the works because if they almost went out of business with their pancreatic cancer trial failure I wonder how they would fair with a hair cell regeneration failure also.

 

Interesting News from the Karolinska Institute Sweden: Maybe one more puzzle

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20...reating-people-with-hearing-disabilities.aspx

 

WOW, that is a revelation ... all the party people are at a huge risk ...

 

Just curious as to how they define night? When the sun goes down? If anyone knows.

 

I stumbled across this today when searching for something else. It's an interesting read.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/researchers-home-in-on-biological-ways-to-restore-hearing/

Kind of discouraging to read 'maybe in fifty years'.

 

Hi NeoM,
very good article......and a kind if very discouraging, yes......Inner Ear seems to be a black box for a long time!

But we should't lose our hope!

Greets Tom

 

Probably the Google Calico Anti Aging Company could focus on hearing loss.
I read about their projects which is quite visionary. But there are some smart people who
probably go other ways...
Does someone know a webpage or a contact about this Calico Company, I didn't find it.

 

I think 20-50 years is an extremely conservative guess. Hearing loss and tinnitus are huge untapped markets for the pharmaceuticals industry. It's hard to ignore the profit potential there. For that reason, you will see treatments much sooner than that. Definitely within 20 years I would wager.

 

Yeah. Trusting journalism and what 1 or 2 researchers say is a good way to get discouraged.

There are people working TODAY trying to solve this problem. Safe estimates are good for research when your goal is to compile a laundry list of papers to your name, but the startups researching cures for this will find a solution much faster.