Episode 5: Hearing In, Tinnitus Out — Prof. Marcelo Rivolta

[Tinnitus Talk]

Hi everybody!

We are very excited to publish the fifth episode of our podcast series! We listened to your feedback and decided to dedicate an episode to hearing regeneration, based on popular demand

Tinnitus Talk spoke with Marcelo Rivolta, professor of Sensory Stem Cell Biology at the University of Sheffield.

What are stem cells and how can stem cells treat hearing loss? What's going on with human trials for hearing regeneration? When can we expected new treatments on the market? And will regenerating hearing resolve tinnitus? These kinds of questions will be answered in this podcast!

Marcelo also announces that he received a research grant and used it to start a biotechnology company called Rinri. If you want to stay up to date with the progress of Rinri, please visit https://rinri-therapeutics.com

The interview with Marcelo was conducted by Steve Harrison (Tinnitus Talk) and David Stockdale (British Tinnitus Association). As added bonus material at the end, Hazel and Markku discuss the Tinnitus Talk Podcast 'behind the scenes.'

​

Listen on:

• Tinnitus Talk Podcast (incl. timestamps and transcript)
  
• SoundCloud
  
• iTunes
  
• Spotify

We welcome any discussion, but please keep the following in mind when commenting:

• Off-topic comments, i.e. not directly responding to the content of the podcast, will be removed. So please do listen before commenting!
• While we welcome constructive criticism on ideas or policies, we do not tolerate direct attacks on individuals.

Tinnitus Talk would like to thank Marcelo Rivolta for taking the time to speak to us, and @David and @Steve for co-hosting.

This episode was produced, as usual, by @Markku, @Jack Straw and @Hazel. Do you want to join our team as well? Let us know!

Don't forget to:

• Send Ideas and Suggestions for Future Podcast Episodes

Sharing Is Caring
Share the podcast on your social media and with your tinnitus friends!

 

[Jack Straw]

Fantastic editing @Markku!

Such a great episode.

 

[wales]

I feel bad for the gerbils but I understand it's done in the name of ethical science!

What a GREAT EPISODE! I looooove these science episodes. It's encouraging to me that tinnitus could get quieter when hearing is restored. I experience both "normal" tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus. I don't expect stem cells to help my pulsatile tinnitus but if they could help my "normal" tinnitus I would be full of joy.

@Jack Straw! ( )
Marcelo Rivolta! (Astonishingly genuine researcher, more of him please!!)
@David (My impression of the BTA improved!!)
@Steve! (What a gentleman like the British are!!)
@Hazel! (Want to hear more about your TRI experiences!!)
@Markku! (Your English is more than fine, don't worry about it, want to hear more of you too!!)

Your team blows it out of the water. American Tinnitus Association's podcast is mediocre compared to this!!

 

[JohnAdams]

There is no data about PRP, not real data. Also, it's not just PRP, it's also bone marrow, but yes, there are still no direct studies about this. Agreed 100% that more research needs to be done. I would however like to see the test tube studies he was talking about. I am aware of zero studies regarding PRP and hearing of any type despite his mention of some sort of in vitro study.

8-10 years before something comes to market? So... What if FX-322 turns out to be very effective and they seek the accelerated trial schedule like they claimed they would? They are planning to begin phase 2 this year. So if they are in fact granted fast-track/breakthrough status, and are already in phase 2, how would that be 8-10 years? Even at their current rate, they would be on track to complete phase 3 in 4 years. 8-10 is not optimistic, it is pessimistic.

Amen about the CBT and mindfulness.

One thing you should have asked him about is what he thinks about the Koss headphones.

 

[annV]

Learned a lot. Thank you!

Lenire will keep me going until these fancy hearing restoration treatments become available.

 

[Mathieulh]

There is no data about PRP, not real data. Also, it's not just PRP, it's also bone marrow, but yes, there are still no direct studies about this. Agreed 100% that more research needs to be done. I would however like to see the test tube studies he was talking about. I am aware of zero studies regarding PRP and hearing of any type despite his mention of some sort of in vitro study.

8-10 years before something comes to market? So... What if FX-322 turns out to be very effective and they seek the accelerated trial schedule like they claimed they would? They are planning to begin phase 2 this year. So if they are in fact granted fast-track/breakthrough status, and are already in phase 2, how would that be 8-10 years? Even at their current rate, they would be on track to complete phase 3 in 4 years. 8-10 is not optimistic, it is pessimistic.

Amen about the CBT and mindfulness.

One thing you should have asked him about is what he thinks about the Koss headphones.

Do PRP and FX-322 do anything to heal neuropathy or is it only about regeneration of the stereocilia?

 

[jay777]

Thank you everyone!

 

[Hazel]

I feel bad for the gerbils but I understand it's done in the name of ethical science!

What a GREAT EPISODE! I looooove these science episodes. It's encouraging to me that tinnitus could get quieter when hearing is restored. I experience both "normal" tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus. I don't expect stem cells to help my pulsatile tinnitus but if they could help my "normal" tinnitus I would be full of joy.

@Jack Straw! ( )
Marcelo Rivolta! (Astonishingly genuine researcher, more of him please!!)
@David (My impression of the BTA improved!!)
@Steve! (What a gentleman like the British are!!)
@Hazel! (Want to hear more about your TRI experiences!!)
@Markku! (Your English is more than fine, don't worry about it, want to hear more of you too!!)

Your team blows it out of the water. American Tinnitus Association's podcast is mediocre compared to this!!

Wow, what a super nice message, thanks!!! That does make all the hard work worthwhile

 

[JohnAdams]

Do PRP and FX-322 do anything to heal neuropathy or is it only about regeneration of the stereocilia?

Great question. PRP is implicated in healing damaged nerves and I would think that it could affect cochlear nerves when injected into the ear drum because experiments with BDNF, when it it administered in the same manner, also had a healing affect on the cochlear nerves. More experiments are certainly needed.

 

[Reinier]

I am interested to hear/read about research. Excellent questions asked. So as far as I am concirned this episode is difficult to top.

Listening to Professor Marcello Rivolta just convinces me even more I need hair cell regeneration and repairing of nerves.

Thanks a lot for this podcast. Looking forward to the Hearing Health Foundation podcast.

 

[Paulmanlike]

There is no data about PRP, not real data. Also, it's not just PRP, it's also bone marrow, but yes, there are still no direct studies about this. Agreed 100% that more research needs to be done. I would however like to see the test tube studies he was talking about. I am aware of zero studies regarding PRP and hearing of any type despite his mention of some sort of in vitro study.

8-10 years before something comes to market? So... What if FX-322 turns out to be very effective and they seek the accelerated trial schedule like they claimed they would? They are planning to begin phase 2 this year. So if they are in fact granted fast-track/breakthrough status, and are already in phase 2, how would that be 8-10 years? Even at their current rate, they would be on track to complete phase 3 in 4 years. 8-10 is not optimistic, it is pessimistic.

Amen about the CBT and mindfulness.

One thing you should have asked him about is what he thinks about the Koss headphones.

Professor Marcelo Rivolta is talking about stem cell therapies for hearing loss and you are talking about Frequency Therapeutics drug molecules to regenerate hearing; the aim is to restore hearing but their approaches are different. He does talk briefly about Frequency Therapeutics but he is not involved in progenitor cell activation (Frequency Therapeutics) - he is talking about the research he does with stem cell therapies.

Frequency Therapeutics may not be successful yet - so the more approaches the better.

I would like to see what other researchers have to say such as those from Frequency Therapeutics approach, those involved in gene therapies and perhaps the guys from Otonomy with their approaches.

I believe Thanos Tzounopoulos is in one of the next podcast episodes and it would be him I would be most hyped about talking to if tinnitus was your main problem and not hearing loss.

 

[Phendran]

8-10 years before something comes to market?

Yeah, that's way too late. 3:

Suppose our main hope lies with Frequency Therapeutics then.

 

[annV]

Suppose our main hope lies with Frequency Therapeutics then.

Realistically, Frequency Therapeutics is at least 7 years away from commercialization. Mark my words. And there's a 80% chance their clinical trials will fail before or during phase 3.

 

[Phendran]

Realistically, Frequency Therapeutics is at least 7 years away from commercialization.

Bleh. 3;
Still better than nothing, but a lot can happen in 7 years.

 

[Starthrower]

Nice to hear @Steve's voice.

@Jack Straw! ( )
Marcelo Rivolta! (Astonishingly genuine researcher, more of him please!!)
@David (My impression of the BTA improved!!)
@Steve! (What a gentleman like the British are!!)
@Hazel! (Want to hear more about your TRI experiences!!)
@Markku! (Your English is more than fine, don't worry about it, want to hear more of you too!!)

Your team blows it out of the water. American Tinnitus Association's podcast is mediocre compared to this!!

I will add everything Tinnitus Hub creates is so professional and informative for the tinnitus population rather than the "peers" within tinnitus organizations who seem to be more threatened rather than thankful for such efforts by @Hazel, @Markku, @Jack Straw and the others who are involved.

 

[Marcus Skye]

Great interview, @Markku, @Hazel! Keep it up. This is fantastic, important work. I look forward to the day one of your guests discovers the cure.

 

[David]

@Jack Straw! ( )
Marcelo Rivolta! (Astonishingly genuine researcher, more of him please!!)
@David (My impression of the BTA improved!!)
@Steve! (What a gentleman like the British are!!)
@Hazel! (Want to hear more about your TRI experiences!!)
@Markku! (Your English is more than fine, don't worry about it, want to hear more of you too!!)

Thanks @wales, good example of working together to achieve more than the sum of our parts!

 

[KJS]

How do they determine if it is hair cell loss or nerve damage?

 

[JohnAdams]

So... Has anyone found the studies Rivolta mentioned about PRP and hearing loss?

 

[JohnAdams]

Yeah, that's way too late. 3:

Suppose our main hope lies with Frequency Therapeutics then.

Not if our hair cells are intact and the damage is from neuropathy.

 

[Phendran]

Not if our hair cells are intact and the damage is from neuropathy.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. 3:

 

[Daniel Lion]

Realistically, Frequency Therapeutics is at least 7 years away from commercialization. Mark my words. And there's a 80% chance their clinical trials will fail before or during phase 3.

They have been marked...

 

[Nick47]

A media piece on Rinri Therapeutics and the hearing landscape by Marcelo Rivolta:

→ The changing landscape for hearing loss therapeutics: novel advances of gene and cell therapies