A simple injection of a salt- or sugar-based solution into the middle ear may help preserve hearing after noise exposure, according to a new study (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 May 7. pii: 201720121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1720121115. [Epub ahead of print]). Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC) exposed mice to a loud noise similar to that of a roadside bomb, and discovered that after exposure to a loud noise, irreversible sensory hair cell death occurred immediately and the inner ear filled with excess fluid, which led to the death of neurons but had a delayed onset. They identified that as a window of opportunity for treatment, and devised salt- and sugar-based solutions to reverse the effects of potassium in the excess fluid and reduce fluid buildup. Injecting these solutions into the middle ear three hours after noise exposure prevented 45 to 64 percent of neuron loss, and could be a way to preserve hearing function.
John Oghalai, MD, one of the study authors and the chair and a professor of the USC Tina and Rick Caruso Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, said the treatment could have several potential applications. "I can envision soldiers carrying a small bottle of this solution with them and using it to prevent hearing damage after exposure to blast pressure from a roadside bomb," he said in a press release. "It might also have potential as a treatment for other diseases of the inner ear that are associated with fluid buildup, such as Meniere's disease." Oghalai and his team plan to conduct further research on the exact sequence of steps between fluid buildup in the inner ear and neuron death, as well as clinical trials of their potential treatment for noise-induced hearing loss.
“I am thrilled to be working collaboratively in the academic environment at USC that fosters translational research such as this,” Oghalai told The Hearing Journal. “It took a large team of physiologists, anatomists, and bioengineers, all working in concert, to perform these studies, and we are all hoping that this work will lead to new treatments for hearing loss.”
John Oghalai, MD, one of the study authors and the chair and a professor of the USC Tina and Rick Caruso Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, said the treatment could have several potential applications. "I can envision soldiers carrying a small bottle of this solution with them and using it to prevent hearing damage after exposure to blast pressure from a roadside bomb," he said in a press release. "It might also have potential as a treatment for other diseases of the inner ear that are associated with fluid buildup, such as Meniere's disease." Oghalai and his team plan to conduct further research on the exact sequence of steps between fluid buildup in the inner ear and neuron death, as well as clinical trials of their potential treatment for noise-induced hearing loss.
“I am thrilled to be working collaboratively in the academic environment at USC that fosters translational research such as this,” Oghalai told The Hearing Journal. “It took a large team of physiologists, anatomists, and bioengineers, all working in concert, to perform these studies, and we are all hoping that this work will lead to new treatments for hearing loss.”
Published: 5/21/2018 11:52:00 AM
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