Lauer Tinnitus Research Center Opens at Mass Eye & Ear

I wonder if it is a good idea to start a thread? Something like "best news this year so far".

I post this question here because the recent news about the 20.000.000 dollar donation to research I think is the best news this year so far.

I could not find (quick search) anything in this context.

 

It's a hell of a lot of money to fall into people's laps. I hope it's spent properly and not used on junk research or propping up pointless staff positions. I expect some decent results justifying the outlay and not research papers on 'Tinnitus in Madagascan Earthworms.'

 

Mass Ear and Eye does a ton of hard research regarding the topics they research. If you look at all their clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov it's no floof research.

 

In my view if an effective treatment / cure is found this will be coming from Mass Ear and Eye or companies originating from them. Charles Liberman and Stephane Maison are the pioneers in the tinnitus research field.

 

Of course you are right @Mentos and @NatureHiker. When you mention those names, they are indeed two of the heavy hitters in the tinnitus field. The donor clearly is targeting their money well. It's just hard to not be cynical sometimes when one sees certain organisations and Mass. Eye and Ear is NOT one of those, that seem to dish out funds for projects that appear from afar, more like job creation, rather than progressing the cause.

 

I was not sure to post this piece of news in this thread...
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20190022101A1/en

 

Fantastic! What is the typical timeline? When can we await trials...?

 

I looked at the charts. Unfortunately this seems to be mostly helpful for acute hearing loss... so when it is out in a couple of years it will be too late for us

 

I thought you may have misperceived this article.

But fear not, regeneration is still possible at this stage.

 

What stage of trial are they on??

 

I hope I have.

 

Both Frequency Therapeutics and Audion Therapeutics I think have completed phase 1, Frequency Therapeutics have for sure completed phase 1 in Melbourne. This is first and foremost a trial demonstrating SAFETY. I believe they have or are going now into phase 2 which will determine the EFFICACY. So we will have to wait to see how much if any hearing restoration takes place, and if tinnitus is reduced or eliminated.

I hope by the this stage, that there will be increased positivity on this forum rather than dwelling that hearing loss and tinnitus isn't a long term problem but rather an inevitably treatable condition.

If you are more bothered by tinnitus than hearing loss, I would concentrate on following the bimodal neuromodulation research that will come much sooner than hearing regeneration, that focuses on making extensive brain changes (plasticity) to treat tinnitus rather than sitting anxiously waiting for regeneration that is a few years (if ever) away from market.

Both treatments are very promising but certainly not without risk of failure, but if we get to phase 2 and they show improved hearing (maybe perfect?) and elimination of tinnitus, then we can celebrate that indeed regeneration amongst humans can happen.

 

Abstract from the paper says

"Although synapses and cochlear nerve terminals can be lost soon after exposure, loss of the neurons themselves is delayed and can progress for months to years. This delay provides a therapeutic window of opportunity to regenerate neurons and their synaptic connections with intact hair cells to treat or prevent hidden hearing loss."

They simply don't know the length of therapeutic window.

 

Yes, but look at the charts. Effect declines significantly a few weeks from noise trauma. Assuming this is mice though, so might be different in humans.