Frequency Therapeutics — Hearing Loss Regeneration

[ageoflove]

Do you think there is any hope at all of science/scientists figuring out how to do all three any time soon and having an effective treatment on human sufferers?

I have ear pain as well as tinnitus. I am told that's hyperacusis. I am told that it's related to the jaw, TMJ-like. I never had these problems before. I don't know if I can wait for a cure but I hope for all of our sake that they discover how to heal/cure these problems sooner rather than later.

I think it should be possible. As said before there are at least 3 possible ways to stop our symptoms.

It's only my personal theory but i think that hyperacusis has similar underlying structure problems as tinnitus. I think if you have hyperacusis that certain nerves are hyperactive as if they receive loud (maximum?) sound input level. So when there is normal loud noise coming in sum it gives your brain the feeling that "hell break loose".

Long story short. It would be interesting if fMRI brain scans of hyperacusis patients (without tinnitus) showed similar results! If so, hyperacusis without tinnitus is like tinnitus periphery damage with intact brain filters...

(Adding to my former theories)

 

[PeteJ]

I think it should be possible. As said before there are at least 3 possible ways to stop our symptoms.

It's only my personal theory but i think that hyperacusis has similar underlying structure problems as tinnitus. I think if you have hyperacusis that certain nerves are hyperactive as if they receive loud (maximum?) sound input level. So when there is normal loud noise coming in sum it gives your brain the feeling that "hell break loose".

Long story short. It would be interesting if fMRI brain scans of hyperacusis patients (without tinnitus) showed similar results! If so, hyperacusis without tinnitus is like tinnitus periphery damage with intact brain filters...

(Adding to my former theories)

If those theories held true, how would they treat it to 'cure' hyperacusis and tinnitus? Would restored hearing be a factor in this?

 

[ageoflove]

If those theories held true, how would they treat it to 'cure' hyperacusis and tinnitus? Would restored hearing be a factor in this?

Based on my theory:

If hyperacusis is "inaudible tinnitus" (because brain filters are working) resulting from hyperactive nerve cells, which again result from hearing damage (lost hair cells, synapses) then restoring hearing and desynchronizing nerves would of course heal hyperacusis.

However I think it's possible to cure tinnitus, maybe even hyperacusis, if you desynchronize wired (and synchronous firing) nerves.

That's what the Neuromod, Michigan, Deep Brain Stimulation stuff is about.
Those possibly stop tinnitus (hyperacusis) but won't improve (restore) hearing periphery.

 

[OnceUponaTime]

In other words, have we been down a road like this before only to be disappointed after getting super fired up or have past things not had as much positive talk from both the company and industry media coverage?

We've been down this road before. Let's just stay positive.

 

[JohnAdams]

Fix hair cells and synapses and hope that neuroplastic (input) changes in brains (reorganisation of the auditory cortex) are not permanent and we get rid of this shit. I'm pretty sure!

Dr. Robert Jackler from Stanford University said that restoring hair cells makes the nerves regrow and reconnect. The synapse is just the gap between two connected neurons. What do you think about that?

 

[GlennS]

It's only my personal theory but i think that hyperacusis has similar underlying structure problems as tinnitus.

My understanding is that hearing involves two kinds of hair cells, those that handle frequency and those that are sort of an auto-gain mechanism. Lose frequency hairs and you get ringing. Lose auto-gain cells and you get hyperacusis.

 

[TeslaGuy]

Dr. Robert Jackler from Stanford University said that restoring hair cells makes the nerves regrow and reconnect. The synapse is just the gap between two connected neurons. What do you think about that?

That is true. They said also that in song birds they not only regrow hair cells but they also connect all the way to the brain. That proves it.

 

[Autumnly]

Frequency Therapeutics Announces Positive Phase 1/2 Data for Drug Candidate for Hearing Restoration

• The company believes the results of this study support the advancement of FX-322 into a multiple dose Phase 2a study, which it plans to initiate later this year.

 

[derpytia]

View attachment 28642

Frequency Therapeutics Announces Positive Phase 1/2 Data for Drug Candidate for Hearing Restoration

• The company believes the results of this study support the advancement of FX-322 into a multiple dose Phase 2a study, which it plans to initiate later this year.

I literally just spat out my drink! Holy crap!

 

[SergioN]

Oh, the last statement almost made me cry. I think we are living a historical moment for hearing medicine.

 

[Chestnut94]

View attachment 28642

Frequency Therapeutics Announces Positive Phase 1/2 Data for Drug Candidate for Hearing Restoration

• The company believes the results of this study support the advancement of FX-322 into a multiple dose Phase 2a study, which it plans to initiate later this year.

Wow! Still cautiously optimistic, but I guess this is the good news that we were waiting for?

Edit: Now I REALLY want to know to what extent the drug has worked for the participants! Hype!

 

[Contrast]

Yes and we can post spongebob GIFs/whatever to celebrate.

This is really good news so we have the opportunity to shitpost in a thread about biomedical research.

@JohnAdams

 

[swc5150]

There's real hope now everyone!!!

 

[Mr Mister]

In addition, improvements in hearing function, including audiometry and word scores, were observed in multiple FX-322 treated patients. "While the focus of this study was safety, we are excited to see initial results in sensorineural hearing restoration as there are currently no treatments to restore hearing for these patients," said David L. Lucchino, President, Co-founder and CEO of Frequency.​

Just let us know how much improvement At least hope is still alive and the message could have been a lot worse.

 

[Contrast]

There's real hope now everyone!!!

I hate to burst the bubble but it seems widescale synaptopathic (synapse and nerve related) hearing loss, and noise induced pain hyperacusis still have to wait for Otonomy and Decibel Therapeutics if they can address it.

If you have hearing loss on the tonal audiogram mild, moderate and borderlining severe this will probably help according to what rumors I hear on the thread.

 

[Mr Mister]

I hate to burst the bubble but it seems widescale synaptopathic (synapse and nerve related) hearing loss, and noise induced pain hyperacusis still have to wait for Otonomy and Decibel Therapeutics if they can address it.

If you have hearing loss on the tonal audiogram mild, moderate and borderlining severe this will probably help according to what rumors I hear on the thread.

How does one know what is the ultimate cause of their hearing loss? Is it possible to find out if the cause is nerve related or loss of auditory hair cells? I have wondered why is it so hard to take images of the hair cells and conclude what is left and what is gone.

I mean it's possible to take very detailed images of the brain and various organs but I don't know if it's possible to get your auditory hair cells "photographed".

 

[Contrast]

How does one know what is the ultimate cause of their hearing loss? Is it possible to find out if the cause is nerve related or loss of auditory hair cells? I have wondered why is it so hard to take images of the hair cells and conclude what is left and what is gone.

I mean it's possible to take very detailed images of the brain and various organs but I don't know if it's possible to get your auditory hair cells "photographed".

Nerve related hearing loss is "broken hearing, mushy hearing, trouble hearing in background noises, similar frequencies merging together.

Hair cell death is when you have trouble hearing soft noises, or noises all together or are deaf in some regions.

 

[JohnAdams]

There's real hope now everyone!!!

There has been real hope and I am here to tell you all that restoring hearing will destroy your tinnitus if your tinnitus is from hearing loss.

Still cautiously optimistic

Don't be cautious. It's happening.

 

[Ray552]

Nerve related hearing loss is "broken hearing, mushy hearing, trouble hearing in background noises, similar frequencies merging together.

Hair cell death is when you have trouble hearing soft noises, or noises all together or are deaf in some regions.

Isn't trouble hearing in background noise due to the loss of higher frequency hair cells?

 

[Chestnut94]

Don't be cautious. It's happening.

Yes please

 

[Mr Mister]

View attachment 28642

Frequency Therapeutics Announces Positive Phase 1/2 Data for Drug Candidate for Hearing Restoration

• The company believes the results of this study support the advancement of FX-322 into a multiple dose Phase 2a study, which it plans to initiate later this year.

While this is very positive news I get a feeling that Frequency Therapeutics is falling behind in schedule compared to REGAIN. They stated this a couple of months ago: "We can share that we have successfully completed the Phase I safety study and will start the Phase II efficacy study within the next few weeks. The results of the phase I and II REGAIN studies will be published after the completion and data analysis of both studies; we are aiming for early 2020."

 

[Watasha]

I must say again that Dr. Josef Rauschecker's Theory of Tinnitus is the most plausible one to me.

I think loud tinnitus (not talking about tinnitus that you can only hear if you concentrate very hard when it's silent) has always to do with - at least minimally - damage to hearing periphery. Hearing Periphery (from the outer ear to the brain) cannot regenerate naturally. Since I think everyone gets hearing damage through lifetime (yes if you are over 30 years old you definitely won't hear 18, 17, 16 kHz on low dB levels).

Nature gave our brains filter mechanisms which can handle damages to a certain level. In certain cases or conditions (science will maybe tell us exactly one day) our filters fail and we hear tinnitus.

So in my opinion there are at least 3 ways to stop tinnitus.

-restore hearing damage
-stop the tinnitus signal (synchronized hyperactive nerve signals)
-repair or improve the brain's filter

I think at the moment there's a race going on who (and which method) will be be the first with a significant success rate!

I think this is a great summary and I share the sentiments on plausible solutions!

 

[SergioN]

We need both to have success and to be in every ENT clinic. Each one will fit better to different people, like paracetamol and ibuprofen...but not ototoxic please!

 

[JohnAdams]

While this is very positive news I get a feeling that Frequency Therapeutics is falling behind in schedule compared to REGAIN. They stated this a couple of months ago: "We can share that we have successfully completed the Phase I safety study and will start the Phase II efficacy study within the next few weeks. The results of the phase I and II REGAIN studies will be published after the completion and data analysis of both studies; we are aiming for early 2020."

All of this shows that mankind is on the edge of a massive breakthrough in regenerating all kinds of damage to the human body, not just in our ears. I believe strongly that this type of technology will advance exponentially.

 

[ageoflove]

In addition, improvements in hearing function, including audiometry and word scores, were observed in multiple FX-322 treated patients. "While the focus of this study was safety, we are excited to see initial results in sensorineural hearing restoration as there are currently no treatments to restore hearing for these patients," said David L. Lucchino, President, Co-founder and CEO of Frequency.​

Just let us know how much improvement At least hope is still alive and the message could have been a lot worse.

Holy crap! I just wanted to post that the audiometry and word scores stuff is not officially announced, but you can read the whole story on the Business Wire website.

So....

It really doesn't look bad right now!

So fellow tinnitus sufferers, let's hope and pray for Frequency Therapeutics together! And of course for all the people with hearing problems!

Time to tackle hearing loss and tinnitus!!!

 

[ageoflove]

Isn't trouble hearing in background noise due to the loss of higher frequency hair cells?

Some consonants like "f","s","t" have high frequency spectrum! However it doesn't explain why people with good audiometry have trouble in background noise or in special hearing situations (...echoing rooms)!

Some theories speculate that it's not only high frequency hair cells, but also synapses which are the root of the problems...

 

[GSC]

I don't care who is ahead, or not. They're both producing good results. Let the race begin.

 

[Contrast]

Isn't trouble hearing in background noise due to the loss of higher frequency hair cells?

That's loss of cochlear synapse ribbons and spiral ganglion nerve cells.

Source:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378595516302507
Charlie Liberman and Sharon Kujawa - Hidden Hearing loss (cochlear synapse and nerve damage) in the mammalian cochlea.

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/38/13452
Roland Schaette & David McAlpine - Hidden hearing loss on a normal audiogram

 

[GSC]

That's loss of cochlear synapse ribbons and spiral ganglion nerve cells.

Source:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378595516302507
Charlie Liberman and Sharon Kujawa - Hidden Hearing loss (cochlear synapse and nerve damage) in the mammalian cochlea.

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/38/13452
Roland Schaette & David McAlpine - Hidden hearing loss on a normal audiogram

So, question, do we know for sure that regular hearing restoration applications won't help and aid with the higher frequencies and synapses?

 

[grate_biff]

I don't care who is ahead, or not. They're both producing good results. Let the race begin.

A beautiful race, but a race of snails