Frequency Therapeutics — Hearing Loss Regeneration

[100Hz]

Can a middle ear muscle be injured just by sound, really? I mean you can damage your hair cells / synapses by sound. May be sound levels that rupture the ear drum can cause middle ear muscle injury. But I was never exposed to such sound levels, yet my middle ear muscle feels injured and is acting weird. I am more of the opinion this is due to inner ear injury.

The tensor tympani muscle doesn't get injured by sound itself. According to the paper it's the way it reacts to the sound that causes its own damage. It's like it goes into meltdown under the right conditions. I've quoted some bits from it,

It has been suggested that an acoustic shock (or trauma), potentially coupled to a particular emotional state, can cause a TTM hypercontraction (overuse) triggering a cascade of events leading to the symptom cluster

The resulting effect of this hypercontraction could be even more important if it occurs in the case of TTM vulnerability (muscle fatigue, chronic hypoxia), namely, during times where the TTM is under particular strain due to overload, stress and noisy and loud environments. Call centers, where many cases of acoustic shock have been reported, may combine all of these elements, including prolonged stress and strong focused auditory attention.

The hypercontraction linked to an acoustic shock or trauma could lead to a more or less severe musculoskeletal disorder of the TTM, from a simple stiffening of the muscle to a more severe and pathologic condition such as tear, chronic, and spasmodic contraction. The feeling of ear fullness may result from the deformation of the tympanum detected by the mechanoreceptors inside the tympanic membrane due to TTM contraction and the dysfunction of the TTM-tensor veli palatini muscle functional unit. I find this interesting because these 2 muscles (tensor tympani and tensor veli palatini) share a tendon and even work together and the pic of the tensor veli palatini shown below is a good example of a location where the facial pain occurs.

Injury of the TTM can be associated with many other adverse consequences. The main detrimental consequence of excessive and prolonged muscle contraction (muscle overload) is blood vessel compression. Importantly, this can result in a reduction in the local oxygen supply to the affected muscle. This phenomenon, in addition to a higher metabolic demand due to the prolonged contraction, can result in a reduction in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) also called "ATP energy crisis". In this circumstance, the muscle switches to an anaerobic glycolysis state to provide the muscle with adequate ATP. Lactic acid is then produced and accumulates in the muscle which increases the local acidity. This decrease in pH (increase of extracellular protons) can activate acid-sensing ion channels of nociceptors, thereby exciting these neurons. A low pH can also downregulate acetylcholinesterase, increase the efficacy of acetylcholine, and maintain muscle contraction. Moreover, free Ca2+, needed for muscular contraction, has to return to the sarcoplasmic reticulum by the calcium pump for muscular relaxation. This process, however, is costly in ATP and cannot be properly done in case of severe energy depletion. The muscle thus stay contracted (until enough ATP is available), which could lead to further muscle injury.

---

Once the muscle enters this contraction/spasming cycle, the end result of how much damage there is depends on how quickly you remove yourself from the noise situation/how long it goes on for. And this is just the start of it. What it suggests happens next is that the middle ear damage starts generating proinflammatory molecules like ATP, and the nerves (trigeminal mainly) become sensitized, this sounds to me like the familiar inner ear type II afferent sensitization theory except it's happening in the middle ear.

TTTS also typically starts after an acoustic shock, it's another indicator that the middle ear has an ongoing problem now. The TTTS is apparently protecting the inner ear at a much reduced noise threshold and startle response. It is putting itself under undue strain, whilst still presumably not recovered, even for moderate noise so it makes sense that it doesn't take much more for this muscle to go into the above cycle even more easily with repeat setbacks. Not to say inner ear pain isn't also at play, but I can't ignore the amount of seemingly linked causes and symptoms in the middle ear and face anymore.

 

[100Hz]

I still don't understand what exactly it is that makes some people experience noxacusis, and some none at all, even if the same process is responsible for symptoms.

I guess this depends on whether enough damage was done to cause any nerve sensitization and if the damage was minor enough that it was able to heal. Being careful with sound in the future would help protect as well.

I couldn't get away from my shock, I was going through the spasming sensations for way too long. And I didn't protect it well enough after, so I think it looks like I couldn't have done a more thorough job on sensitizing my nerves.

@serendipity1996 If you're having TTTS symptoms could it be possible that you've had a mild one you didn't know about because that sounds like your middle ear has had some degree of trauma. Maybe only a tiny amount but just enough to get your middle ear into a slightly higher state of alert?

By the way these potassium channel Kv7 blockers that are being developed and talked about, I haven't done much reading on them but are they the same thing or similar to what stellate ganglion block is? Is it all under the same umbrella as Trobalt, Retigabine, XEN-1101 etc?

 

[UKBloke]

By the way these potassium channel Kv7 blockers that are being developed and talked about, I haven't done much reading on them but are they the same thing or similar to what stellate ganglion block is? Is it all under the same umbrella as Trobalt, Retigabine, XEN-1101 etc?

If you haven't already, check out the recent interview Dr. Thanos gave Tinnitus Talk Podcast. There's also a transcript available.

Additionally, @attheedgeofscience's experience with Laser Therapy, Stem-Cell therapy, and ultimately Trobalt is intriguing.

For what it's worth, I believe that a full reduction in tinnitus symptoms, or as near as damnit, will come from a combination of therapies where Kv7 blockers play quite an important role.

 

[sssing]

Can a middle ear muscle be injured just by sound, really? I mean you can damage your hair cells / synapses by sound. May be sound levels that rupture the ear drum can cause middle ear muscle injury. But I was never exposed to such sound levels, yet my middle ear muscle feels injured and is acting weird. I am more of the opinion this is due to inner ear injury.

I remember this article about middle ear muscle reflex changing after cochlear damage by Liberman. It says that when there's damage in the inner hair cells, the middle ear muscle reflex is affected. So I think yes, all the ear structures are interrelated. Before I had this bad tinnitus and hyperacusis, my ear muscle would keep fluttering. I just thought it was due to temperature change. Now, looking back, I think it was a sign of damage being done. If only I knew earlier, I would have been more careful with noise.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5244259/

 

[serendipity1996]

I guess this depends on whether enough damage was done to cause any nerve sensitization and if the damage was minor enough that it was able to heal. Being careful with sound in the future would help protect as well.

I couldn't get away from my shock, I was going through the spasming sensations for way too long. And I didn't protect it well enough after, so I think it looks like I couldn't have done a more thorough job on sensitizing my nerves.

@serendipity1996 If you're having TTTS symptoms could it be possible that you've had a mild one you didn't know about because that sounds like your middle ear has had some degree of trauma. Maybe only a tiny amount but just enough to get your middle ear into a slightly higher state of alert?

By the way these potassium channel Kv7 blockers that are being developed and talked about, I haven't done much reading on them but are they the same thing or similar to what stellate ganglion block is? Is it all under the same umbrella as Trobalt, Retigabine, XEN-1101 etc?

Hmm good question - to be honest I don't ever really recall suffering from an acoustic shock even just a minor one if we go by the definition of a sudden unexpected sound. But it's difficult to recall - along the journey to recovery there are inevitably times where you're exposed to noise that feels uncomfortable. I never really had middle ear spasms but when the ear pain was at its worst my tonic tympani muscle would spasm but only if I shut one eye. These middle ear symptoms have pretty much gone away now completely though so it was temporary for me. The facial pain etc went away too so it seems like the sensitisation decreased over time and didn't get stuck in a vicious cycle. Still, there's always the worry that the pain etc could return if I'm not careful with noise. Still reading that paper, it's very informative!

 

[FGG]

How about fluoroquinolones?

I can't seem to find much about that. Poorly studied for whatever reason.

 

[GregCA]

I can't seem to find much about that. Poorly studied for whatever reason.

You will find data if you ask PubMed for a specific use case: treating otitis media and/or post-op treatment after tympanostomy tubes.

Ex: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24093464/

 

[FGG]

You will find data if you ask PubMed for a specific use case: treating otitis media and/or post-op treatment after tympanostomy tubes.

Ex: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24093464/

I have seen those studies (that suggest it isn't ototoxic) but never any that suggests a mechanism in the reportedly rare cases where it seems to be:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03048074

 

[DebInAustralia]

I can't seem to find much about that. Poorly studied for whatever reason.

Thank you for looking anyway FGG.

Much appreciated.

All I've been able to find out is that it downregulates GABAA receptors.

 

[Emgee]

I see people speculating if FX-322 will help hyperacusis/noxacusis. Any speculation on if regeneration via FX-322 or another drug will help with TTTS at all?

Also, my tinnitus is very reactive. When people speak of improvement, I wonder about reactivity.

Of course it's great to see these drugs in development and ideally coming out in the next few years for many that are suffering from tinnitus that is debilitating in its own right. I can't lie and say I'm not worried that nothing will help with major parts of my own personal issues which come from TTTS, hyperacusis, intermittent noxacusis, and major reactivity.

I can relate to this. My worst issue is my reactivity. I'm very worried that this won't improve, even if FX-322 positively affects my baseline. Reactive tinnitus is such a mystery to me. I hope I'm not stuck like this for the rest of my life.

 

[weab00]

I hope FX-322 does something for dysacusis/reactive tinnitus/sound distortions.

 

[100Hz]

Still reading that paper, it's very informative!

If you haven't already, check out the recent interview Dr. Thanos gave Tinnitus Talk Podcast. There's also a transcript available.

I'm going to talk with my doctor about what the nerve blocker in that paper could be, I'm hoping that if I do find out, it's not just a temporary thing like a dentist uses. Intravenous nerve blocks are reference a few times and even mentions the stellar ganglion block as well.

An autonomic nerve blocker administered intravenously has been shown to reduce the sensation of aural fullness, which is possibly related to TTM contraction. Interestingly, in a single case study, Westcott et al. (in preparation) reported that stellate ganglion blockage improved and even completely suppressed the sound-induced pain seen after an acoustic shock.

This is useful if you're reading that paper. It shows how the motor root of the TGN mandibular branch seems to innervate exactly the muscles that are getting the delayed pain.

@UKBloke thanks for that transcript, great information. I understand it a bit better now. I'm still trying to work out what the difference is between a new Retagabine and the nerve blocker mentioned above, are they completely different things? My burning question is whether or not the new Retagabine would do the same thing that that nerve blocker does in that above quote, only last longer, be more efficient etc?

 

[UKBloke]

I'm still trying to work out what the difference is between a new Retagabine and the nerve blocker mentioned above, are they completely different things? My burning question is whether or not the new Retagabine would do the same thing that that nerve blocker does in that above quote, only last longer, be more efficient etc?

It's probably my bad for referring to the Kv7 channel potential treatments as "blocks" because I don't think they necessarily are, at least in the nerve block sense, although I do stand to be corrected.

My understanding of the effect seen with Retigabine was that it addressed an inconsistency in the flow of Potassium (ions) that ultimately create a voltage potential that operates a gate, similar to a valve/transistor gate/logic switch in many standard electrical circuits (or at least this is how I've perceived it) but in the brain. I think Thanos suggests that this gate may be stuck closed in tinnitus patients.

In my own imagination a permanent/semi permanent closure of this voltage operated gate would suggest a short circuiting between the neuronal excitability that arises in the auditory circuits in patients where hearing damage (in whatever form) has occurred, and the area of the brain, which then transduces this aberrant electrical activity into the perception of tinnitus. If the gate can be opened again to function correctly, the short-circuit will cease, along with it, at least this is what I believe the researchers are suggesting, the tinnitus.

I don't know whether you'd agree or not, but I believe this kind of fault in a gating system may offer a clue as to why certain people with hearing damage don't perceive tinnitus, whilst others do. Also, if it could be shown, just like happens in electrical component manufacture, what kind of readings we should expect to see in a functioning component (resistance/impedance etc) there may be the opportunity down the line for an additional test to measure how far out of tolerance the gate is. Perhaps this might gauge what kind of outcome we should expect to see from FX-322 and whether or not a combination therapy is indicated.

Re: Retigabine I don't think it was particularly selective around the Kv7 channels, also it was horribly toxic for some people. Thanos's team are working on addressing that with a very specific new compound.

 

[serendipity1996]

I'm going to talk with my doctor about what the nerve blocker in that paper could be, I'm hoping that if I do find out, it's not just a temporary thing like a dentist uses. Intravenous nerve blocks are reference a few times and even mentions the stellar ganglion block as well.

An autonomic nerve blocker administered intravenously has been shown to reduce the sensation of aural fullness, which is possibly related to TTM contraction. Interestingly, in a single case study, Westcott et al. (in preparation) reported that stellate ganglion blockage improved and even completely suppressed the sound-induced pain seen after an acoustic shock.

This is useful if you're reading that paper. It shows how the motor root of the TGN mandibular branch seems to innervate exactly the muscles that are getting the delayed pain.

View attachment 40530

@UKBloke thanks for that transcript, great information. I understand it a bit better now. I'm still trying to work out what the difference is between a new Retagabine and the nerve blocker mentioned above, are they completely different things? My burning question is whether or not the new Retagabine would do the same thing that that nerve blocker does in that above quote, only last longer, be more efficient etc?

I am pretty sure the nerve blocker that is being referred to is the stellate ganglion block plus Botox - Myriam Westcott said she has had success using this in one patient. I think someone on this forum actually got the SGB -it may have been @grate_biff but I don't know how much success he had with it?

Weirdly I am still having issues with my laptop speakers - they don't cause me delayed pain any longer and other forms of artificial audio aren't so bad but laptop audio still sounds extremely tinny and shrill. It feels like some strange mixture of distorted hearing and reactivity.

 

[stacey]

Hey everyone.

So just the other day I was having a conversation with a close friend and I decided to mention FX-322 which seems to be promising in the tinnitus/hyperacusis community, as it works to restore hair cells.

His immediate reaction/response was "do you even know the meaning behind 322??"

I replied no, I have never heard of that symbol before. He informed me that 322 indicates "SKULL AND BONES".

I did my research and saw that he was correct.

He then offered his advice that he himself would never take anything with that symbolism behind it. He said my best bet to try and relieve my tinnitus and hyperacusis is to take the coronavirus vaccine as it will have Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc which he states will fix anything wrong in the body.

This gave me a lot to think about. I just wanted to know your views and thoughts on this.

 

[FGG]

Hey everyone.

So just the other day I was having a conversation with a close friend and I decided to mention FX-322 which seems to be promising in the tinnitus/hyperacusis community, as it works to restore hair cells.

His immediate reaction/response was "do you even know the meaning behind 322??"

I replied no, I have never heard of that symbol before. He informed me that 322 indicates "SKULL AND BONES".

I did my research and saw that he was correct.

He then offered his advice that he himself would never take anything with that symbolism behind it. He said my best bet to try and relieve my tinnitus and hyperacusis is to take the coronavirus vaccine as it will have Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc which he states will fix anything wrong in the body.

This gave me a lot to think about. I just wanted to know your views and thoughts on this.

I don't even know how to respond to the rest of this but Hydroxychloroquine is ototoxic in high or prolonged doses so I would definitely be wary of taking it if you already have tinnitus especially:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6001088/

 

[Born To Slay]

Hey everyone.

So just the other day I was having a conversation with a close friend and I decided to mention FX-322 which seems to be promising in the tinnitus/hyperacusis community, as it works to restore hair cells.

His immediate reaction/response was "do you even know the meaning behind 322??"

I replied no, I have never heard of that symbol before. He informed me that 322 indicates "SKULL AND BONES".

I did my research and saw that he was correct.

He then offered his advice that he himself would never take anything with that symbolism behind it. He said my best bet to try and relieve my tinnitus and hyperacusis is to take the coronavirus vaccine as it will have Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc which he states will fix anything wrong in the body.

This gave me a lot to think about. I just wanted to know your views and thoughts on this.

They sound like a very nice person but my honest thought is not to take medical advice from this person. The COVID-19 vaccine will not cure hyperacusis or tinnitus and FX-322 meaning that is only a coincidence.

 

[Paulmanlike]

His immediate reaction/response was "do you even know the meaning behind 322??"

I replied no, I have never heard of that symbol before. He informed me that 322 indicates "SKULL AND BONES".

Or it means FX-322 will be FDA approved and on the market in March, 2022.

 

[mrbrightside614]

Hey everyone.

So just the other day I was having a conversation with a close friend and I decided to mention FX-322 which seems to be promising in the tinnitus/hyperacusis community, as it works to restore hair cells.

His immediate reaction/response was "do you even know the meaning behind 322??"

I replied no, I have never heard of that symbol before. He informed me that 322 indicates "SKULL AND BONES".

I did my research and saw that he was correct.

He then offered his advice that he himself would never take anything with that symbolism behind it. He said my best bet to try and relieve my tinnitus and hyperacusis is to take the coronavirus vaccine as it will have Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc which he states will fix anything wrong in the body.

This gave me a lot to think about. I just wanted to know your views and thoughts on this.

Pseudospiritual psychobabble nonsense. I can't confirm this isn't an Illuminati plot, but I'm going to go ahead and say it is not an Illuminati plot. Do not take hydroxychloroquine in efforts to reduce tinnitus.

 

[HootOwl]

Hey everyone.

So just the other day I was having a conversation with a close friend and I decided to mention FX-322 which seems to be promising in the tinnitus/hyperacusis community, as it works to restore hair cells.

His immediate reaction/response was "do you even know the meaning behind 322??"

I replied no, I have never heard of that symbol before. He informed me that 322 indicates "SKULL AND BONES".

I did my research and saw that he was correct.

He then offered his advice that he himself would never take anything with that symbolism behind it. He said my best bet to try and relieve my tinnitus and hyperacusis is to take the coronavirus vaccine as it will have Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc which he states will fix anything wrong in the body.

This gave me a lot to think about. I just wanted to know your views and thoughts on this.

This is the best god damn post in the whole thread.

I want this pinned.

It's true art.

 

[Diesel]

This is the best god damn post in the whole thread.

I want this pinned.

It's true art.

I heard they're putting a chip in each dose of FX-322 so the government can track us. Think about it... injecting a chip into your ear... the ENTs would never find it... since they never see anything in there anyway!

 

[ASilverLight]

Hey everyone.

So just the other day I was having a conversation with a close friend and I decided to mention FX-322 which seems to be promising in the tinnitus/hyperacusis community, as it works to restore hair cells.

His immediate reaction/response was "do you even know the meaning behind 322??"

I replied no, I have never heard of that symbol before. He informed me that 322 indicates "SKULL AND BONES".

I did my research and saw that he was correct.

He then offered his advice that he himself would never take anything with that symbolism behind it. He said my best bet to try and relieve my tinnitus and hyperacusis is to take the coronavirus vaccine as it will have Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc which he states will fix anything wrong in the body.

This gave me a lot to think about. I just wanted to know your views and thoughts on this.

Everything wrong in my body? You mean one vaccine is going to cure illnesses and conditions I have that, present day, do not have a single treatment, much less a cure?

My advice: do not listen to him. It's just some conspiracy theory, nothing more, nothing less. FX-322 is promising and if it works to reduce tinnitus I'd be happy to try it if a doctor is willing.

If your friend isn't associated with any medical profession at all, don't listen to them, honestly. Even if their intentions aren't bad.

 

[FGG]

I heard they're putting a chip in each dose of FX-322 so the government can track us. Think about it... injecting a chip into your ear... the ENTs would never find it... since they never see anything in there anyway!

Omg. That's it. That's why they are so selective for the trials.

They are looking at occult actuary tables to determine who won't die any time soon (via natural or Final Destination causes) because the *only* way they will get caught is autopsy studies. ENTs and Audiologists would just dismiss the demonic whispers like they always do.

 

[serendipity1996]

Hey everyone.

So just the other day I was having a conversation with a close friend and I decided to mention FX-322 which seems to be promising in the tinnitus/hyperacusis community, as it works to restore hair cells.

His immediate reaction/response was "do you even know the meaning behind 322??"

I replied no, I have never heard of that symbol before. He informed me that 322 indicates "SKULL AND BONES".

I did my research and saw that he was correct.

He then offered his advice that he himself would never take anything with that symbolism behind it. He said my best bet to try and relieve my tinnitus and hyperacusis is to take the coronavirus vaccine as it will have Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc which he states will fix anything wrong in the body.

This gave me a lot to think about. I just wanted to know your views and thoughts on this.

Lmao this is the peak of 346 pages of discussion - it's all downhill from here...

 

[Diesel]

Lmao this is the peak of 346 pages of discussion - it's all downhill from here...

After all this, we're going to find out FX-322 really was just apple cider vinegar all along.

 

[HootOwl]

After all this, we're going to find out FX-322 really was just apple cider vinegar all along.

Not just normal apple cider vinegar:

~~E.D.G.Y~~ apple cider vinegar that bears the mark of evil and chaos

 

[HootOwl]

Lmao this is the peak of 346 pages of discussion - it's all downhill from here...

Maybe the real FX-322 were the friends we made along the way.

 

[wwtsai]

Omg. That's it. That's why they are so selective for the trials.

They are looking at occult actuary tables to determine who won't die any time soon (via natural or Final Destination causes) because the *only* way they will get caught is autopsy studies. ENTs and Audiologists would just dismiss the demonic whispers like they always do.

So since I was rejected for the trial does that mean my time is coming soon?

 

[tommyd87]

I mean, it's human to talk about our frustrations, but if you don't know what you've gotten, it's best not to even mention your results.

I also suspect that for those who got the placebo, it's more likely they'll break the NDA, as they have more frustration and reason to complain. It's similar to Yelp reviews at this point, but it's two separate restaurants that keep getting mixed up.

Psychology research regularly and repeatedly indicates that those who view something negatively and/or are upset with something are more likely to comment about it and/or complain about it.

I'd dare say from seeing this post, this is possibly how this individual feels.

I'm starting to question the use of "acoustic shock/trauma" as being anything other than really "fast" NIHL. It seems to be thrown around like its a special cause of hearing loss; and somehow those who experienced it will need some special treatment. Where really, it's just same old cell death/damage happening really quickly.

Acoustic shock sometimes does and does not cause hyperacusis; other than it being a faster way to lose hearing, what makes it any more unique than gradual NIHL?

The great news is, there has never been a for-fact "NO it won't help..." but here's a helpful theory:

There seems to be a fair amount of agreement that OHC damage/death are related with several symptoms associated with hyperacusis. Enough OHC damage/death associated with their respective Type-II nerve may be triggering many of these symptoms.

FX-322 causes progenitors to regenerate OHC that are damaged, dead or missing. Called Progenitor Cell Activation (PCA).

When PCA occurs. The brand-new OHC are also reconnected to the appropriate nerve; the Type-II nerve in this case. The same way it was done in the womb; as nature intended.

It stands to reason with a fresh batch of new, living OHC connected to the Type-II nerve, symptoms related to hyperacusis would begin to fade or at least be reduced over time.

I, for one, will be looking closely at the results of the Hearing Handicap and Quality-of-Life survey data from the Phase 2A. Certainly some of the 96 participants have hyperacusis; they all will have significant hearing loss for starters, so prevalence of tinnitus and hyperacusis should be higher than "normal." Considering how greatly hyperacusis affects QOL, I would expect those scores to significantly improve post FX-322.

I think that there are two elements to your post.

Firstly, the theory I have with acoustic shock is that it is exactly how you described it, which is probably faster hearing loss caused by noise.

Secondly Notice how there have been some bodies recently rethinking how age related hearing loss should be considered? Well I reckon that this is the same for not only this but also acoustic shock and a number of other hearing related conditions.

The research is now indicating that there is a lot more consistency between these supposedly very different hearing issues. It isn't as individualised/different as we were being told previously and actually also seems to go back to the depleted synapse/cell issue. Pretty interesting also that the development of this medication and actual outcomes after consuming it might also be the reason that the experts are now either being told or learning that their previous positions might be wrong .

What I think is that hearing is actually a lot simpler than the specialists thought it was. Whether this is due to the fact that there was no actual method to look into a cochlear until rather recently, doctors over theorising and over analysing things related to ears and hearing as they tend to do, or whether it is the breakthrough with getting medicine into the cochlear and learning about how it treats, we won't ever exactly know!

What we definitely do know is that the medicine developments has completely opened up the mystery of cell related hearing loss and actually destroyed a number of previously held positions.

My view is that Hearing is simply a mixture of two elements which need to be operating appropriately. These are the conductive side and cell side of hearing. Firstly the conductive side consists of things like having a working drum and bones and fixing these too if they are broken in some part. Problems which fall in the conductive side of hearing seem to mostly be fairly easy to repair. It seems that there tends to be a good understanding of how to deal with these issues appropriately.

Secondly, the cell side of hearing has to do with the cells and synapses. We have known for sometime that reduced synapses and cells leads to reduced hearing. What isn't fully known as yet is firstly, how to fix the synapse and cell part of hearing and also secondly, what exactly will happen if you can restore these. However, based off of the information we have to date, I believe that the restoration of cells and synapses is likely to restore the function that as been lost. Due to the blessed time we thankfully live in and due to the development of awesome medicine like FX-322, I think there is a high possibility that the synapse and cell side of hearing will be treated appropriately soon.

Currently we do not know exactly what FX-322 does and what it exactly repairs other than cells of some type(s). However, having a look at what is being tested in FX-322 trials there should be a better indication of what it does. That said, from what we have seen with FX-322, the theory that improved cells leads to improved hearing ability is very well supported based off of the improvement in testing results both pre and post having the medicine. Thus what I believe FX-322 has told us about this cell side of hearing is that it isn't actually as amazingly complex as was thought.

I think that the restorative medicine most likely will provide the remedy to most of the issues individuals have with this side of hearing loss. Like we have already actually seen cell restoration leads to better performance in key areas of hearing. Literally now the question is no longer how do we get medicine to work in ears by breaking the barrier present in the cochlear. Rather it is now actually working out what medicines might work and also how do we get the medicines performing the best. We know FX-322 can currently lead to full cell growth in the lab, so now it is just a matter of making that happen in the human ear. Therefore I believe that we will see further substantial development in the area of ear medicine treatment as time goes on.

I also think the case is very strong for restorative medicine to help relieve tinnitus (and hopefully hyperacusis too). It is incredibly evident that tinnitus can be a result of hearing loss. Furthermore, tinnitus is also proven to be resolved when repairing conductive issues like a ruptured ear drum, due to the depletion in hearing. Thus the same scenario is highly likely to occur if you restore cells in someone who has tinnitus from a hair cell loss. Looking at the anecdotal evidence from FX-322 phase 1 trial participants, this theory is well supported.

If FX-322 is successful, it will strongly show other companies either working on hair cell/synapse medicine or planning to work on it that there is real benefit in doing this. Currently companies won't tell us anything due to commercial confidentiality. However, having a look at what is known there seems to be big developments. Therefore I hope that FX-322 is seriously successful and that this will lead to a faster production of the other medicines being considered, because it will demonstrate the positive response from patients and the positive returns.

Consequently with the development of FX-322 and also the other proposed treatments that have been floated by other companies, I think that there will be big breakthrough in terms of treating the hair cell side of hearing and as a result people will really benefit from it.

Thanks for letting us know. This is great news that 96 participants have been filled. Hopefully results don't get delayed and are still coming out in April.

I think that they are at the moment on target for April. Although there could be a slight delay due to needing to compile and also appropriately report results right after the trial. Thus it might not be till early May that we actually see something formal.

 

[aot]

FX-322 IS PEOPLE!