Inner Ear Hair Cell Regeneration — Maybe We Can Know More

[jazz]

Just found this interesting link from a neurowiki on hair cell regeneration that offers an overview on topics including transdifferentiation, mitosis, and notch inhibition. It includes a detailed bibliography. The neurowiki is from the 2013 class in the University of Toronto's Human Biology Neuroscience Program.

http://neurowiki2013.wikidot.com/individual:hair-cell-regeneration

 

[Hopeful]

A few more links I have stumbled upon recently. I have mainly focused on umbilical cord blood stem cells, since those apparently are the most potent ones and treatments injecting these intravenously are already available.

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20871652

Umbilical cord blood stem cells - potential therapeutic tool for neural injuries and disorders.

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117144332.htm

Umbilical cord blood stem cells converted into brain support cells.

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18320714

Human cord blood cells can differentiate into retina nerve cells.

 

[James White]

Can you use someone else's umbilical cord blood ?

 

[Hopeful]

Can you use someone else's umbilical cord blood ?

Yes.

And since its from the umbilical cord, otherwise thrown in the trash, the ethical issues are few.

 

[Erlend]

Guess we won't have to do this then

 

[James White]

South Park are so good !

 

[Hopeful]

I had an email correspondance with Karl Koehler (http://news.medicine.iu.edu/releases/2013/07/hashino-stem-cells-inner-ear.shtml) and asked him
'Does IV injections with human cord blood stem cells have a chance to repair damages on the human cochlea?' - this is the treatment @attheedgeofscience is getting. I told him about this forum and linked to @attheedgeofscience journal.

This is part of the reply (edited)

'Although I am not an expert on the etiology of or the treatment of Tinnitus, I am rather adept a spotting fraudulent stem cell treatments. I can say with confidence that if the stem cell treatment described by attheedgeofscience alleviated his tinnitus it was not due to the mesenchymal stem cell injection. To my knowledge, there is no definitive proof that such a treatment could be used for Tinnitus. Certainly not enough proof to spend $25,000. These treatments are becoming alarmingly common and are typically unproven.

I am a member of the International Society of Stem Cell Research and they have developed a very nice website to inform the public about these unproven stem cell treatments (see link). I encourage you to read through the information and share it with other members of TinnitusTalk. You can email the ISSCR directly to see if they have any information this particular clinic (email stemcelltreatments@isscr.org). They may be eager to investigate on your behalf.

It is my understanding that Tinnitus has a variety of causes that we are just now beginning to understand. Stem cells may be an effective treatment in the future, but at this point it is unclear what we would need the stem cells for (e.g. replacing hair cells or neurons in the cochlea, secreting proteins, etc.). I will try to keep myself informed on the progress of Tinnitus therapies and look a little deeper into the potential of stem cell treatments for you. In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact me again with other questions.'

I posted it in this thread since I don't want this to be a debate on @attheedgeofscience's decision. He was well aware, that he was out on an 'adventure'. Still waiting for his post-treatment thoughts, though.

 

[erik]

@Hopeful : thanks for posting this. I think that many of us here share this same opinion about stem cells but we wanted to give attheedgeofscience the benefit of the doubt and hear about his adventure as he put it. Whatever the outcome, it was interesting nonetheless. I do wish the best for him.

Though stem cell therapies look promising, the science really is just not there yet especially in regards to hearing and tinnitus. Any time an opportunity arises, scammers come out of the woodwork Stem cell scams are no different than the "Tinnitus Miracle" type scams they just take much more of your money.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/stem-cell-therapy_n_1532086.html

 

[Markku]

Thanks @Hopeful, very nice to get a pro's opinion on the matter.

Unfortunately, @attheedgeofscience has yet to answer me, and at this point I'm not very hopeful (no pun intended). I can't help but wonder what has happened, and still keep wishing he'll return. It's now been a month since the last time he visited the board.

I do have some of his personal contact information which he gave to me in confidence, but I don't feel comfortable reaching out to him that way, not yet anyway - email ought to be sufficient.

I bet we're all interested in how he's doing - and I bet we all appreciated his efforts greatly when he wrote the journal.

 

[Hopeful]

@Hopeful : thanks for posting this. I think that many of us here share this same opinion about stem cells but we wanted to give attheedgeofscience the benefit of the doubt and hear about his adventure as he put it. Whatever the outcome, it was interesting nonetheless. I do wish the best for him.

Though stem cell therapies look promising, the science really is just not there yet especially in regards to hearing and tinnitus. Any time an opportunity arises, scammers come out of the woodwork Stem cell scams are no different than the "Tinnitus Miracle" type scams they just take much more of your money.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/stem-cell-therapy_n_1532086.html

I have been in contact with the clinic and they claim to have treated 3 people with very good results. They even gave me a telephone number to a guy I could call, who would tell me of his experince - it is a bit suspicious, though, that this guy is 'currently in Bangkok'...

I have asked them for some evidence on the people they claim to have treated and asked them if they have some clinical trials they can share with me.

This is something ISSCR is going to know about. If they are straight out lying, it's fraud of the worst kind I can imagine. If they can provide some proof of validity I will likewise forward it to ISSCR.

 

[Markku]

They even gave me a telephone number to a guy I could call, who would tell me of his experince - it is a bit suspicious, though, that this guy is 'currently in Bangkok'...

Sounds familiar. They also told attheedgeofscience of that one patient who he could reach.

If it's a scam, it's a good tactic to increase confidence. Many people could be paid to pretend to have been benefited from a treatment...

 

[Hopeful]

Sounds familiar. They also told attheedgeofscience of that one patient who he could reach.

If it's a scam, it's a good tactic to increase confidence. Many people could be paid to pretend to have been benefited from a treatment...

I remember him mentioning that he had spoken to some kind of organisation, that recommended this clinic - I just can't find the quote. Am I wrong?

 

[Markku]

I remember him mentioning that he had spoken to some kind of organisation, that recommended this clinic - I just can't find the quote. Am I wrong?

Yes he did found the clinic through an organization. I can't find a public quote about the name though, only in the private discussion I had with him where he also mentions the organization's name.

Let me just say that the organization in question is very critical of ISSCR. They say that ISSCR's only function is to keep stem cells away from suffering patients...

I'd like to mention the organization's name, but since it was told to me in private, I'm hesitant. Even though the above might give it away...

Here's the public quote regarding the organization (from attheedgeofscience's Journal):

I was meant to have met the person from the resource organization that guided me to the clinic I am at (he goes for treatments himself). However, when I showed up at the clinic noontime, he had cancelled his appointment for treatment (I will meet him tomorrow instead). Since I was at the clinic already, I ended up having an informal chat with one of the doctors there - here's what he shared about stem cells:

 

[Hopeful]

Let me just say that the organization in question is very critical of ISSCR. They say that ISSCR's only function is to keep stem cells away from suffering patients...

Oh. Was it 'such an organisation'. I raed it al worng, then.

But anyway, c'mon researchers! I still believe this to be one of the most well-paved roads to a tinnitus cure for a large variety of cases.

 

[Aaron]

"Hello Aaron: About inner ear hair cell regeneration, Prof. Stefan Heller in Stanford already derived hair cell from human ES successfully, his achievement has already been disclosed in Stem cell magazine. In China, Prof. Li Huawei in Fudan University is the top expert in hair cell regeneration and tinnitus as well, he keeps cooperating with Prof. Zhengyi Chen in Harvard Medical School, recently, they will disclosed some profound findings. About Tinnitus, is one of Li Huawei's most important research areas, mainly lead by Prof. Wang Tianfeng, I have CCed this email to Tianfeng, he will give you more message about the research process. We really hope our research could solve the problem for the patients.
From R.J.Chai"

R.J.Chai: Just come back to China as professor, he did 4 years research in Stanford with Prof. Rissi and Alan Cheng, all about the inner ear hair cell regeneration.

Zhengyi Chen: Prof. in Harvard who cooperated with prof. Albert Edge, inner ear hair cell regeneration. I have also contacted him for a lot of times.

Will keep all you guys updated, I plan to meet R.J.Chai and Tianfeng Wang recently.

BTW, my lidocaine therapy is not effective so far, tomorrow is the last day.

Original email:
"Aaron, 你好： 在毛细胞再生这一方面国际上stanford的Stefan Heller教授已经成功的从Human ES 分化出毛细胞，他的这部分工作已经发表在Stem Cell杂志上， 在国内复旦大学的李华伟教授是毛细胞再生和耳鸣方面研究的首屈一指的专家，华伟教授和Harvard的 Zhengyi教授一直有良好的合作，近期在毛细胞再生方面会有重大突破发表。 关于耳鸣，这是华伟教授团队的另一个主攻方向，主要由王天丰老师负责，这里我也把邮件抄送给他，请他给你介绍一下耳鸣研究方面的进展，非常希望能通过我们的研究工作解决病人患痛。 祝，马年快乐！
人杰"

 

[Stina]

"Hello Aaron: About inner ear hair cell regeneration, Prof. Stefan Heller in Stanford already derived hair cell from human ES successfully, his achievement has already been disclosed in Stem cell magazine. In China, Prof. Li Huawei in Fudan University is the top expert in hair cell regeneration and tinnitus as well, he keeps cooperating with Prof. Zhengyi Chen in Harvard Medical School, recently, they will disclosed some profound findings. About Tinnitus, is one of Li Huawei's most important research areas, mainly lead by Prof. Wang Tianfeng, I have CCed this email to Tianfeng, he will give you more message about the research process. We really hope our research could solve the problem for the patients.
From R.J.Chai"

R.J.Chai: Just come back to China as professor, he did 4 years research in Stanford with Prof. Rissi and Alan Cheng, all about the inner ear hair cell regeneration.

Zhengyi Chen: Prof. in Harvard who cooperated with prof. Albert Edge, inner ear hair cell regeneration. I have also contacted him for a lot of times.

Will keep all you guys updated, I plan to meet R.J.Chai and Tianfeng Wang recently.

BTW, my lidocaine therapy is not effective so far, tomorrow is the last day.

Original email:
"Aaron, 你好： 在毛细胞再生这一方面国际上stanford的Stefan Heller教授已经成功的从Human ES 分化出毛细胞，他的这部分工作已经发表在Stem Cell杂志上， 在国内复旦大学的李华伟教授是毛细胞再生和耳鸣方面研究的首屈一指的专家，华伟教授和Harvard的 Zhengyi教授一直有良好的合作，近期在毛细胞再生方面会有重大突破发表。 关于耳鸣，这是华伟教授团队的另一个主攻方向，主要由王天丰老师负责，这里我也把邮件抄送给他，请他给你介绍一下耳鸣研究方面的进展，非常希望能通过我们的研究工作解决病人患痛。 祝，马年快乐！
人杰"

Good luck!! Ill keep you in my prayers)

 

[James White]

This is interesting Aaron, thanks for sharing this with us !

 

[SISKO]

Is there only activities in inner Hair cell regeneration or outer cells as well ?

Does anybody know ?

 

[Aaron]

Is there only activities in inner Hair cell regeneration or outer cells as well ?

Does anybody know ?

The "Inner" here means inner ear, cochlear, outer hair cell(OHC) is one kind of "inner ear hair cell", which is definitely what they are focusing on

 

[jes]

Thanks Aaron you are so good.

 

[Kimbo Slice]

Hi Aaron. I cannot wait for this. Very excited. Does this mean you will be going for a meeting, or is it a treatment they are giving you?

 

[Aaron]

Hi Aaron. I cannot wait for this. Very excited. Does this mean you will be going for a meeting, or is it a treatment they are giving you?

Hi Kimbo Slice,

No, I am sorry that they cannot give me any treatment at this moment. But before, I think that the inner ear hair cell regeneration is something 10-15 years later at least, but now maybe, I only say maybe, thay are accelerating the process. I just plan to have a chat face to face with the two professors in Nanjing and Shanghai, ask some key questions and keep in touch with them.

Maybe we are closer than we expected, keep optimistic! When I was in university 5-8 years ago, there is even nothing called smart phone, but now, everybody use it all around the world, there is HOPE for us.

 

[Valentin]

thanks, keep us updated m8

 

[Kimbo Slice]

Yes thank you very much Aaron. We are all looking forward to hearing from you.

 

[rainman]

@Aaron- you are beautiful, man. It's the second coming of attheedgeofscience. You should rename yourself "attheedgeofschina" you dig it?

 

[Aaron]

@Aaron- you are beautiful, man. It's the second coming of attheedgeofscience. You should rename yourself "attheedgeofschina" you dig it?

Thanks, your words are funny. Actually I didn't have any science background, I majored in finance at the university, but after getting the T, I have to push myself to the "edge".

 

[Ornitoring]

Hello peolple I have a question. Im haven't a lot of time of internet I hope not repeat the question in the forum. If it is the case I would like that you put a link where I can read. Thanks.

Website of Hyperacusis research wrote when finish Hearing Health Summit 2011 this sentence:

"a key issue with hyperacusis is getting solid evidence for whether or not hyperacusis patients have hair cell damage. Currently all methods to truly establish hair cell damage can only be done on a destroyed cochlea. In a follow-up discussion, Dr. Heller described that recent advances in optical tomography may soon enable this diagnostic tool to be able to view inside a live cochlea. That breakthrough would enable many in the study of the inner ear to gain much needed understanding for modeling the inner ear and help to finally answer the question for damage for hyperacusis patients"

Now we are in 2014... we know the answer? I would like if inner cell regeneration can be hyperacusis solution.

 

[Valentin]

No one knows

 

[rainman]

http://hopestemcell.com/stem-cell-treatments/hearing-loss

This is the first time i've seen treatment for hearing loss promoted on stem cell clinics home pages. I mean, we now that lots of clinics will do that if you ask them, but they don't advertise it, yet. Maybe they don't have the critical amount of patients healed to be comfortable about it. From that logic, it seems that this clinic is. Could it be that they've done lots of patients, but not much information has spread out from China?

 

[rainman]

http://truthatlas.com/researchers-develop-scaffolding-for-stem-cells/#sthash.gP8BGeXs.dpbs

from the last part;
"Stem cells are now used to treat blindness and hearing loss, but also diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes"
...hearing loss, where?