Inner Ear Hair Cell Regeneration — Maybe We Can Know More

Hair cell regeneration would restore input and hopefully the brain will acknowledged the restored input and decrease the tinnitus signal. But then again hearing loss is more complicated then just hair cells, synapses, audiotory nerve fibers, pathways in the brain also contribute to hearing loss.
 
I stumbled across this old article on some promising molecule that had potential to regenerate hearing cells in mammals.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hear-raising-compound-reg/

While I think the trial failed due to toxicity in it's original study that was supposed to treat Alzheimer's and I couldn't find any progress to treat hearing loss with this molecule, but what I found puzzling is this:


"many theorize that supporting cells are essential components of the hearing process—remove supporting cells and risk reducing the quality of sound that humans can perceive."


Does anyone know why supporting cells are considered important for hearing quality?
 
I stumbled across this old article on some promising molecule that had potential to regenerate hearing cells in mammals.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hear-raising-compound-reg/

While I think the trial failed due to toxicity in it's original study that was supposed to treat Alzheimer's and I couldn't find any progress to treat hearing loss with this molecule, but what I found puzzling is this:


"many theorize that supporting cells are essential components of the hearing process—remove supporting cells and risk reducing the quality of sound that humans can perceive."


Does anyone know why supporting cells are considered important for hearing quality?

Frequency is likely using it in their FX-322 based on their prior published papers. LY411575 is also the most potent Gamma-secretase inhibitor based on some literature I read. I believe the doses they gave to Alzheimer's patients were extremely high compared to what they are using for hearing loss. Can't remember what paper I saw that in.

You can see where Frequency talks about it in their paper here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5395286/
 
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org...=96064715&bbemailid=8192968&bbejrid=627964602

HHF article

"The researchers designed a molecule combining 7,8-dihydroxyflavone, which mimics a protein critical for development and function of the nervous system, and bisphosphonate, a type of drug that sticks to bones. This pairing delivered the breakthrough solution, the researchers say, as neurons responded to the molecule and regenerated synapses in mouse ear tissue. This led to the repair of the hair cells and neurons, which are essential to hearing."
 
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org...=96064715&bbemailid=8192968&bbejrid=627964602

HHF article

"The researchers designed a molecule combining 7,8-dihydroxyflavone, which mimics a protein critical for development and function of the nervous system, and bisphosphonate, a type of drug that sticks to bones. This pairing delivered the breakthrough solution, the researchers say, as neurons responded to the molecule and regenerated synapses in mouse ear tissue. This led to the repair of the hair cells and neurons, which are essential to hearing."
This looks extremely promising and could be the future of hair cell/synapse regeneration combined into one should all the methods right around the corner fail us. These past few months, it truly seems like progress is being made.
 
I see what you mean with the above article and he makes some good points. However, there are many scientists across the world in many labs working on this procedure. Don't you think that if they would not have some faith in this working that they would pump tens of millions into this research and subsequent procedure?

I think it's just that nobody really knows what's going on. Even if this might fail, there will at the very least A LOT learned that they can build on.
 
I would say the author made some points, but I think his information is dated. Just in the past 2 years there have been new advances and discovering highlighted in the articles we have been posting. They look much more promising than the information from a few years ago.

Hopefully, I hope one of the clinical trials from Audion/Frequency or Novartis will tell us more in the next 2-5 years.
At the moment, my hearing does play a little crazy due to an alergy (I hope)... when I think to visit a doc, there is absolutley nothing new to try out like 15 years ago, that's scarry!!
So I hope for a little advance in the next few years.
 
I see what you mean with the above article and he makes some good points. However, there are many scientists across the world in many labs working on this procedure. Don't you think that if they would not have some faith in this working that they would pump tens of millions into this research and subsequent procedure?

I think it's just that nobody really knows what's going on. Even if this might fail, there will at the very least A LOT learned that they can build on.
There will always be naysayers. A slice of the TT community demonstrates that.
 
They don't even cite/reference McLean's 2017 paper for Frequency. This tells you everything you need to know about the quality of analysis in this article.

Let's hope :) I'm very curiouse about the next trial results of Frequency, Audion and Novartis... at least, there are 3 companies in trial mode. SoundPharma,Otonomy, HoughEar and Acousia seem to select their compounds for trials soon.
 
Let's hope :) I'm very curiouse about the next trial results of Frequency, Audion and Novartis... at least, there are 3 companies in trial mode. SoundPharma,Otonomy, HoughEar and Acousia seem to select their compounds for trials soon.

Audion is a dead end. For one, their drug is in the form of a liquid, which given the environment of the inner ear seems like an inferior drug delivery method given the other gel/polymer technology that's out there now. Also, transdifferentiation is most certainly an inferior hair cell regeneration method as compared to Frequency's dividing/differentiation method. If you think about it, transdifferentiation in a way mutates the cellular structure of the inner ear. It's taking supporting cells and repurposing them to be hair cells, which depletes the supporting cell supply, and fundamentally changes the cellular structural construct of the inner ear. Will McLean has eluded to several times that supporting cells play a pivotal role in the function of inner ear biology, even if they're just lying dormant.

It is very poorly understood at this point what happens if you exhaust the pool of supporting cell supply in favor of hair cell supply.
 
Audion is a dead end. For one, their drug is in the form of a liquid, which given the environment of the inner ear seems like an inferior drug delivery method given the other gel/polymer technology that's out there now. Also, transdifferentiation is most certainly an inferior hair cell regeneration method as compared to Frequency's dividing/differentiation method. If you think about it, transdifferentiation in a way mutates the cellular structure of the inner ear. It's taking supporting cells and repurposing them to be hair cells, which depletes the supporting cell supply, and fundamentally changes the cellular structural construct of the inner ear. Will McLean has eluded to several times that supporting cells play a pivotal role in the function of inner ear biology, even if they're just lying dormant.

It is very poorly understood at this point what happens if you exhaust the pool of supporting cell supply in favor of hair cell supply.

ok, so the Audion trial ist more less proof to see if a transdifferention generally works in human inner ear while FrequencyTX has more advanced approach with keep the inner ear structure? Is there a glimpse of info when they try to start Phase II trial?
 
ok, so the Audion trial ist more less proof to see if a transdifferention generally works in human inner ear while FrequencyTX has more advanced approach with keep the inner ear structure? Is there a glimpse of info when they try to start Phase II trial?

Unfortunately, Frequency is headed for a Phase I/II in the second half of this calendar year. They're not advancing directly into a phase II trial. I am very optimistic about the therapeutic potential of FX-322. I pray someone on this forum gets into this trial. The waiting game for information is painful.
 
Audion is a dead end.
As I mentioned earlier, the fact that Edge was founder of Audion, but also of DX would make me think Audion is chanceless and more feels than a EU funded research to be applied by Edge at DX. If Audion would be so promising, with Edge on board (though currently only advisor), why would a vc as e.g. gv invest in DX.

Audion is just some government funded research for which I doubt it could lead to any products. They have little IP and there haven't been any updates after phase 1.

At least a lot of knowledge is gathered these past years and perhaps in not too distant future it would lead to a procedure.
 
Does Dtx published their pipeline to the public? Indeed, I always asked myself how Edge can be member of different companies with the same or close the same target products.
But Audion seem to be a pioneer in this field, they here for a long time, I guess since 2004/2005..
First company with a regeneration pipeline was Otogene from Seattle which closed down and one part of scientist created Soundpharmaceuticals, later the other one Acousia. So maybe they will show us something interesting soon.
At least, maybe all approaches are just one part of triggering hair cell regeneration, there has been so many headlines which told us "cure" when they could let grow something out of a tissue (while all are remarkable works)...
As for now, FrequencyTx approach is described as very promising, while Hough Ear also claim to have a promising solution with it's RNAi approach.
But from what I read, RNAi seems to be much more complicated and risky to apply in the human body...but as you see, I'm just a layman :)
 
There will always be naysayers. A slice of the TT community demonstrates that.
Let us just wait and see the results and then we can talk
Another article which cautions the hope of hair cell regeneration. I hope some new discoveries let look the future brigther than that.
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/health/inner-ear-hair-cells-are-hard-to-regenerate
We know about this... And this is from last year... So, let us just see what Frequency will do and then further discuss it when something really happens... Best
 
Let us just wait and see the results and then we can talk

We know about this... And this is from last year... So, let us just see what Frequency will do and then further discuss it when something really happens... Best

yes it's true, it's an older article.
What do you guys think will this finding affect the Frequency-Approach?
It's about the correct position they must be aligned.
https://www.masseyeandear.org/news/...-enables-the-sense-and-sensitivity-of-hearing
 
Would this also include regenerating the hair cells in the vestibular system? Because ever since I had sudden hearing loss overnight, I have been extremely dizzy, to the point of falling down.
 

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