Hough Ear Institute's Hair Cell Regeneration Project

[ChrisBoyMonkey]

The DL-form is over the counter.

Then nothing! You can try it out if you want then. I've tried a few supplements that haven't helped me much but not this one.

 

[Auron]

Wait is the pill Hough Ear Institute is working on only to prevent damage? Seems like it. Looks like it's nothing more than NAC wrapped with a pretty bow on top.

 

[vttbx]

What is the difference between D and L methionine?

From what I'm reading it looks like the D form is converted into the L form?

https://www.novusint.com/Portals/0/Documents/Methionine/Comparison of Methionine Sources_Full Article.pdf?timestamp=1443715076894

DL-methionine can be purchased for pets which has both.

@vttbx

Unfortunately, D-Methionine is not available to the general public. All the research done on hearing was using D-Meth, not L-Meth. DL seems to be for pets only. If you want to take a deep dive, watch this video with Dr. Campbell who was in charge of the study. It's from 2011 and the audio is out of sync. She mentions @26:06 that D-Meth is safer and stays in the body longer than L-Meth.

 

[Jurger]

Wait is the pill Hough Ear Institute is working on only to prevent damage? Seems like it. Looks like it's nothing more than NAC wrapped with a pretty bow on top.

Except that they're also saying it has the effect of repairing ribbon synapses.

 

[Daniel Lion]

Except that they're also saying it has the effect of repairing ribbon synapses.

I did scope out their publications... super.

Hough research has been published in prestigious journals repeatedly. Just search for articles (co-)authored by Dr. Kopke.

You are right... they've got a lot of stuff going down... it's amazing they can't come up with money... the Hearing Health Foundation could promote their cause. The Bill Gates Foundation could float them for the next decade...

It's actually chump change they are after... I don't get it...

Dark days... hope to see a flicker of light...

 

[Rb86]

Wait is the pill Hough Ear Institute is working on only to prevent damage? Seems like it. Looks like it's nothing more than NAC wrapped with a pretty bow on top.

Wrong. It was shown to repair damage, and it's not only NAC in it. AND they're working on an injection as well to regrow hair cells.

 

[Jurger]

Wrong. It was shown to repair damage, and it's not only NAC in it. AND they're working on an injection as well to regrow hair cells.

We're also gonna need something for regrowing spiral ganglion neurons. I believe Rinri's stem cell drug is for that but honestly I find it hard to distinguish between those, ribbon synapses and the 'auditory nerve'. Wish an ENT could explain it in laymen's terms.

 

[Rb86]

We're also gonna need something for regrowing spiral ganglion neurons. I believe Rinri's stem cell drug is for that but honestly I find it hard to distinguish between those, ribbon synapses and the 'auditory nerve'. Wish an ENT could explain it in laymen's terms.

ENTs probably know less than you buddy

 

[Caveman]

We're also gonna need something for regrowing spiral ganglion neurons. I believe Rinri's stem cell drug is for that but honestly I find it hard to distinguish between those, ribbon synapses and the 'auditory nerve'. Wish an ENT could explain it in laymen's terms.

Is Rinri's drug even in pre-clinical phase??

 

[JohnAdams]

We're also gonna need something for regrowing spiral ganglion neurons.

Even with hair cell regeneration drugs?

 

[Jurger]

Even with hair cell regeneration drugs?

Yes, if you don't have any hair cell damage, but do have damaged spiral ganglion neurons. If you look at donated temporal bones of people with sudden hearing loss for example, some people were in that category. Most did have hair cell damage though.

 

[Jurger]

Is Rinri's drug even in pre-clinical phase??

It is. They're hoping to get to Phase 1 within 5 years.

 

[all to gain]

We're also gonna need something for regrowing spiral ganglion neurons.

I don't understand the science, can you explain it to me?

My tinnitus is from ototoxic drugs (possibly stress too), which was then worsened by an MRI.

Where does this leave me?

 

[Justin De Moss]

Why not team up with Frequency Therapeutics? Sure they have their method, but maybe they could add another. They just received plenty of funds? Just a thought.

I know right! However, it is not that easy, especially with patents and proprietary methods/compounds at stake. Biotech firms (for-profit) are interested in making money primarily. As they should - that is what has given us so much medicine. It is a good model. It is just frustrating for those of us that suffer while we wait for something to ease our suffering to get approved.

We are a non-profit. Our focus is on the mission, to restore hearing worldwide through research, education, and humanitarian efforts. Profits that are due to Hough Ear Institute go right back into research to help others suffering. That is the primary difference between us and many other outfits: we have the mission as our primary objective and bring in for-profit biotech firms to aid us in accomplishing that mission.

 

[Justin De Moss]

What do you think about this?

Several of us including myself have experienced significant relief from taking curcumin.

Tinnitus patients have lower BDNF levels:
"Serum BDNF level was found lower in the tinnitus patients than controls"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28615544

Curcumin increases BDNF levels:
curcumin at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg (p.o.) increased BDNF protein levels by 78.0% and 95.1%, respectively, compared to the control group.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2017/6280925/

I honestly wouldn't know. I'm not a scientist or a doctor. However, that would be a great question when we get Dr. Rick Kopke on the Tinnitus Talk Podcast!

 

[Justin De Moss]

What do you mean with biased?

I work at the Hough Ear Institute.

 

[Justin De Moss]

He simply means he works for the institute that has a drug it believes will work. It's like saying you think your team will win the championship--naturally you cheer for your own team! Of course in this case he would add it isn't just belief, there's science and an initial trial that supports that view.

Thank you and yes. That sums it up nicely.

Also, for your information and to keep in mind - I moved my family (wife and 7 kids) to OKC to advance the research. I'd like to think that I did that with a degree of understanding of and belief in the science and ultimate goal of commercialization.

 

[Justin De Moss]

Yeah, about that. Any idea what the financial cost will be to the sufferer?

Less than the cost of a single hearing aid!!!!

 

[Justin De Moss]

What about performing a Phase II study in the European Union? Are you willing to conduct clinical trials in Europe, too?

We are open to any route that leads to commercialization so we can bring relief to hundreds of millions of people around the world!

 

[Justin De Moss]

@Justin De Moss Do yous guys know how supporting cells are affected.For example, someone who used this pilled suffered a second acoustic trauma,will they be able to use it a second time.How about ribbon synapse's,do they also use supporting cells.Since,from my understanding, this pill address both issue's.

Thanks in Advanced!

Caveat - I'm not a scientist. This is a great question and should be asked during the Tinnitus Talk Podcast.

That said, I believe your question is more related to our hearing loss injection technology, not the hearing loss pill.

The pill regenerates meaningful connections between the auditory nerve, the nerve endings, and the cochlea. Once those connections and re-established there isn't a need to continue the medicine. It may need to be taken again if there is additional trauma resulting in additional nerve damage.

 

[Justin De Moss]

@Justin De Moss I have another question.Hopefully I can word my thought's correctly.

Many, if not all other approaches to restore hearing,seem to use intratympanic injection,if I'm correct,you guys are also developing one to tackle hearing loss in addition to the pill approach.These therapies biggest obstacles seem to be delivery of the drug.From my limited knowledge,other approaches such as oral ingestion resulted in very serious side effects in animal studies,hence intratympaic injection being the popular method for drug delivery for hearing restoration.I previously thought that a pill solution was impossible before hearing about HEI,but here we are.My question is,how does the body know how to deliver the medicine to the appropriate area without affecting all other cells/tissue on it's way to the auditory system?Seems to me,that there would be ample opportunity for the drug to end up in the wrong spot.

Thanks again in advanced!

Great question. You guys know more about the science that I do. I'm still learning. This would be a great question for the podcast - as I have no clue how to answer it !

 

[Justin De Moss]

If we get this through phase 2 with funding, would there be sufficient funding for phase 3? If yes, then it shouldn't be too difficult to crowd-fund the seven millions. I mean that's 1 dollar from maybe 1 in every 10 people who have hearing problems just in the US.

Phase II will cost anywhere from $50-100 million. That said, once we get it through Phase II and we know it is safe AND that it is effective - more biotech firms will be interested in investing, licensing the tech, and pushing it through Phase III.

Our business model relies on contributions for the initial research and Phase I, possibly Phase II clinical studies then a commercialization partner to take it through Phase II possibly, and Phase III clinical studies.

 

[Justin De Moss]

@Justin De Moss,

Have you guys reached out to the DoD for funding? If this pill really is that promising, the funding for more research is not much at all compared to what goes to VA tinnitus claims.

We have reached out and we have received funding. Our latest government grant was the only one approved by the DoD and funded out of over 70 applicants.

The challenge is that government funding is slow!!!!! Our research has outpaced government funding.

 

[Justin De Moss]

I wish I could share your optimism... I don't know why I remain so dubious... Perhaps it's because they are a non-profit, and I've seen no publications, although in theory they exist...

What's wrong with me? Why am I being so ambivalent about these guys?

Maybe you just need some more coffee You want publications? Ok, here you go: https://houghear.org/publications/

 

[Justin De Moss]

Correction: looks like this has been covered in another thread but apparently only the pill has been tested through phase 1. This is the antioxidant for noise trauma (acute?).

The regeneration injection (OPI-001) I don't believe has gone through phase 1.

Correct.

 

[Justin De Moss]

So we are still 10+ years off anything that treats tinnitus?

Hopefully not! Our goal and we are currently on track, is mid-2020's.

 

[Justin De Moss]

Wait is the pill Hough Ear Institute is working on only to prevent damage? Seems like it. Looks like it's nothing more than NAC wrapped with a pretty bow on top.

It was initially developed for prevention. We discovered however that it was restorative as well. Then we discovered it was effective in treating tinnitus. Initial research is so much fun once you get past all the failures

 

[FGG]

Unfortunately, D-Methionine is not available to the general public. All the research done on hearing was using D-Meth, not L-Meth. DL seems to be for pets only. If you want to take a deep dive, watch this video with Dr. Campbell who was in charge of the study. It's from 2011 and the audio is out of sync. She mentions @26:06 that D-Meth is safer and stays in the body longer than L-Meth.

It is also looks like the research was as a prophylactic or immediate after noise exposure (within 7 hours).

Her talk was illuminating in regards to DoD funding though.

"They are only interested in oral formulations because they can be used on the battlefield."

Other things she said make it sound like they are less interested in helping already disabled veterans and more interested in preventing future ones. Would be nice to see DoD research addressing both.

Edit: D-Methionine probably needs its own thread.

 

[Rb86]

Yes, if you don't have any hair cell damage, but do have damaged spiral ganglion neurons. If you look at donated temporal bones of people with sudden hearing loss for example, some people were in that category. Most did have hair cell damage though.

I'm assuming we don't have the tech to differentiate or diagnose those aspects on a live person?

 

[Rb86]

It was initially developed for prevention. We discovered however that it was restorative as well. Then we discovered it was effective in treating tinnitus. Initial research is so much fun once you get past all the failures

Justin I've read you saying this a few times - it's effective in treating tinnitus. Is this based on findings from animal models or humans who reported it after phase 1?