Rinri Therapeutics

[LovableGamer]

Hold up... is this going to require immunosuppression?

Current and emerging approaches to cochlear immunosuppression with translation to human inner ear stem cell therapy: A systematic review

Good find! It sounds like it could be helpful for stem cell regeneration, which may help us hear again. We are getting closer and closer.

 

[Scruffiey]

Good find! It sounds like it could be helpful for stem cell regeneration, which may help us hear again. We are getting closer and closer.

I would not consider this a positive outcome. I struggled with a six-week course of mild nasal steroids, so the idea of having to take Prednisone for the rest of my life pretty much rules me out of Rinri.

I believe it can have quite harmful effects in general.

In my opinion, this limits the potential of this approach until new methods of immunosuppression are developed, or until they are able to use the individual's own stem cells to prevent rejection.

It will still be incredible to see if it works, but for the average person with mild hearing loss and tinnitus, it feels like we are once again further away than I had hoped.

 

[Nick47]

Hold up... is this going to require immunosuppression?

@Scruffiey, we do not know yet. The current thinking is that, for most patients, probably not. The inner ear is a unique environment and may not require immunosuppressive drugs. This is where Rinri is at in terms of their thinking.

 

[Scruffiey]

@Scruffiey, we do not know yet. The current thinking is that, for most patients, probably not. The inner ear is a unique environment and may not require immunosuppressive drugs. This is where Rinri is at in terms of their thinking.

@Nick47, I think I may actually be slightly in love with you. This was the glimmer of hope I needed to keep going.

 

[pants]

Hold up... is this going to require immunosuppression?

Current and emerging approaches to cochlear immunosuppression with translation to human inner ear stem cell therapy: A systematic review

It seems unclear because in the summary of that paper it says the following...

Several animal studies utilising stem cell treatment of the cochlea have not employed immunosuppression, and investigators did not detect evidence of an immune or inflammatory reaction within the cochlea. Many of these authors concluded that the cochlea displays immunological privilege that is sufficient to allow xenotransplantation

but the paper did also say this...

Importantly all studies employed a relatively short period before animal sacrifice and histological and immunohistochemical assessment of the cochlea. The potential for longer term, chronic rejection of transplanted cells has therefore not been investigated.

 

[Wolfka]

Hold up... is this going to require immunosuppression?

Current and emerging approaches to cochlear immunosuppression with translation to human inner ear stem cell therapy: A systematic review

It might help, but only for a short time. When you receive stem cells, even your own, doctors need to prepare your body by suppressing your immune system. This is because the stem cells have been altered and are no longer in their original state. However, after a few months, you are taken off immunosuppressants and no longer require them.

 

[Scruffiey]

It might help, but only for a short time. When you receive stem cells, even your own, doctors need to prepare your body by suppressing your immune system. This is because the stem cells have been altered and are no longer in their original state. However, after a few months, you are taken off immunosuppressants and no longer require them.

Don't worry, there is enough love to go around for both you and @Nick47.

I can manage a short course.

 

[withintention]

Why do we think this could help people with tinnitus? It appears that the treatment is expected to benefit individuals with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL).

Are we expecting it to help those who have tinnitus as a result of SSHL?

 

[Nick47]

appears that the treatment is expected to benefit individuals with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL).

@withintention, no, the participants will be with age-related hearing loss.

 

[Victoria76]

I'm keeping a close eye on this. If it progresses to the stage where it's established as safe, and they just need a larger trial with people who have less severe hearing loss to show that it works well enough to bring to market, I would certainly consider volunteering. It's encouraging to see a company working on this that is close enough for me to reach.

Although, on reflection, I probably wouldn't be considered suitable. I don't know whether my hearing loss is due to otosclerosis related to my osteoporosis. I have no idea how to find out. I'm praying it's hair cell damage instead, possibly caused by a suicide attempt with Aspirin in my teens, along with years of taking antidepressants and experiencing weight gain. Of course, it could be both.

Another thing—somebody ought to ask Rinri if they have taken the scarring problem into account. This seems to be a point of contention in the FX-345 thread. Hopefully, they have developed a solution involving stem cells, which can reverse scarring. If that technology is improving, we might still be in with a chance.

 

[Scruffiey]

I'm keeping a close eye on this. If it progresses to the stage where it's established as safe, and they just need a larger trial with people who have less severe hearing loss to show that it works well enough to bring to market, I would certainly consider volunteering. It's encouraging to see a company working on this that is close enough for me to reach.

Although, on reflection, I probably wouldn't be considered suitable. I don't know whether my hearing loss is due to otosclerosis related to my osteoporosis. I have no idea how to find out. I'm praying it's hair cell damage instead, possibly caused by a suicide attempt with Aspirin in my teens, along with years of taking antidepressants and experiencing weight gain. Of course, it could be both.

Another thing—somebody ought to ask Rinri if they have taken the scarring problem into account. This seems to be a point of contention in the FX-345 thread. Hopefully, they have developed a solution involving stem cells, which can reverse scarring. If that technology is improving, we might still be in with a chance.

Hopefully I will see you there!

Can anyone truly be sure whether their hearing damage is due to hair cells or nerves? It is almost always likely to be a combination of both.

The clinical trial requirements might focus only on age-related or degenerative disease hearing loss in an attempt to account for that. We will probably have to wait a couple of years to find out more.

I believe Rinri is based on research from Japanese scientists who placed stem cells directly onto glial scars. It clearly worked well enough in vitro to justify moving forward.

While the discussion in the FX-345 thread does concern me—suggesting that we may be stuck with permanently weakened ears and, at best, reliant on a cocktail of drugs with unpredictable side effects to manage our conditions instead of even a semi-permanent repair—it is based entirely on an AI response. That response may have been trained using opinions from this very forum and could lack nuance.

As always, I look forward to @Nick47 hopefully providing his much more informed perspective.

 

[LovableGamer]

I just had a thought. If Rinri Therapeutics is successful in restoring the neuron part, then maybe using AC102 for the hair cell part, in partnership, could restore all the cells. AudioCure did say that AC102 restored both hair cells and synapses, right?

 

[Scruffiey]

I just had a thought. If Rinri Therapeutics is successful in restoring the neuron part, then maybe using AC102 for the hair cell part, in partnership, could restore all the cells. AudioCure did say that AC102 restored both hair cells and synapses, right?

AC102 is for acute hearing loss, not chronic. It does not generate hair cells, but instead works to protect against and reverse the effects of immediate damage.

From further reading, I do not think any of the treatments that attempt to use support cells to transdifferentiate into hair cells—such as those from Cilcare—are going to be worthwhile, except in the most severe cases. Support cells play an important role in hearing.

Hopefully, when Rinri Therapeutics begins work on their stem cell approach to hair cell generation, they will have developed a method that avoids depleting support cells. Otherwise, we will have to wait for viral genetic editing to advance further.

 

[LovableGamer]

AC102 is for acute hearing loss, not chronic. It does not generate hair cells, but instead works to protect against and reverse the effects of immediate damage.

From further reading, I do not think any of the treatments that attempt to use support cells to transdifferentiate into hair cells—such as those from Cilcare—are going to be worthwhile, except in the most severe cases. Support cells play an important role in hearing.

Hopefully, when Rinri Therapeutics begins work on their stem cell approach to hair cell generation, they will have developed a method that avoids depleting support cells. Otherwise, we will have to wait for viral genetic editing to advance further.

Oh, that's too bad. Thank you for the information. I am hopeful that Rinri Therapeutics will be successful, along with the others. I am also hoping they will focus more on hair cell regeneration as the trials progress. If things go well, their research could move forward more quickly with increased funding and support.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

AC102 is for acute hearing loss, not chronic. It does not generate hair cells, but instead works to protect against and reverse the effects of immediate damage.

From further reading, I do not think any of the treatments that attempt to use support cells to transdifferentiate into hair cells—such as those from Cilcare—are going to be worthwhile, except in the most severe cases. Support cells play an important role in hearing.

Hopefully, when Rinri Therapeutics begins work on their stem cell approach to hair cell generation, they will have developed a method that avoids depleting support cells. Otherwise, we will have to wait for viral genetic editing to advance further.

First, let me acknowledge that you received two emojis of approval for your post above. But as always, I tend to be the contrarian who wants to argue a point. I would like to highlight the depressing reality that modern city life seems to be getting noisier and noisier as the years go by.

Whether someone experiences cumulative auditory damage from repeated high-volume noises or from one or two major incidents, it is likely that a tinnitus patient may suffer a new acoustic event that leads to more of the same — tinnitus and hyperacusis. I imagine this could be considered acute on top of the chronic symptoms that were already present.

Would AC102 help with this? I am sure you know more about it than I do.

 

[Scruffiey]

First, let me acknowledge that you received two emojis of approval for your post above. But as always, I tend to be the contrarian who wants to argue a point. I would like to highlight the depressing reality that modern city life seems to be getting noisier and noisier as the years go by.

Whether someone experiences cumulative auditory damage from repeated high-volume noises or from one or two major incidents, it is likely that a tinnitus patient may suffer a new acoustic event that leads to more of the same — tinnitus and hyperacusis. I imagine this could be considered acute on top of the chronic symptoms that were already present.

Would AC102 help with this? I am sure you know more about it than I do.

I agree, modern life has gotten loud. I am currently in a place that was once out of the way, yet ten years later, noise seems to be encroaching on it. I am now just waiting for the added traffic those golden arches will bring.

But that was not my point. I was just saying AC102 is not for regrowing lost hair cells. It is not going to take me or anyone else from mild hearing loss back to 0 dB, except possibly for a few days or weeks.

As a product, I think it is excellent. It is going to save a lot of people from pain if it works, but it is more for situations like, "Doctor, I have suddenly lost my hearing," or, "There was an explosion and I want to save my hearing" — more about preventing further damage and cell death.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

Maybe I did not express myself clearly. If this AC102 works by mending hearing damage, then it is useful for those with recent noise exposure.

However, even for people with chronic tinnitus, where it is much too late to repair damage from years ago, this could still help. If someone with chronic tinnitus experiences a recent loud noise exposure, it might help restore things back to their baseline level.

This could become an important tool in the audiology field because many people who have tinnitus or hyperacusis seem to have sensitive hearing and may be more vulnerable to further damage.

AC102 might help restore things back down to the baseline level of tinnitus after a setback.

Generally speaking, over time, people's tinnitus seems to get louder, although they often cope with it better as the years go by.

Why does it tend to get louder? Additional noise exposure, ear infections, or simply aging over time could all play a role.

 

[Scruffiey]

Maybe I did not express myself clearly. If this AC102 works by mending hearing damage, then it is useful for those with recent noise exposure.

However, even for people with chronic tinnitus, where it is much too late to repair damage from years ago, this could still help. If someone with chronic tinnitus experiences a recent loud noise exposure, it might help restore things back to their baseline level.

This could become an important tool in the audiology field because many people who have tinnitus or hyperacusis seem to have sensitive hearing and may be more vulnerable to further damage.

AC102 might help restore things back down to the baseline level of tinnitus after a setback.

Generally speaking, over time, people's tinnitus seems to get louder, although they often cope with it better as the years go by.

Why does it tend to get louder? Additional noise exposure, ear infections, or simply aging over time could all play a role.

I understand the idea, but my point is that I think it is more for emergency treatment. I do not think a doctor would provide it just for an everyday setback, especially as it requires an intratympanic injection. I think it will be reserved for major events, such as explosions or sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), situations that any of us could unfortunately experience. In those cases, we would certainly be grateful that such a product exists.

However, Ebselen (SPI-1005) has been tested for the type of product you are suggesting. If I recall correctly, it showed something like a 67 percent improvement according to the Phase 2 results. Not perfect, but I will take it.

I am especially looking forward to it as a prophylactic for those unavoidable noises, like dental procedures.

 

[Ken219]

It appears the Rincell-1 2025 study is for people with cochlear implants. To test the viability of the treatment, participants will be injected with stem cells, and then their cochlear implants will be turned off.

Please correct me if I am wrong. I am not concerned about my hearing, as I just want my tinnitus to stop.

 

[Ozhe]

It appears the Rincell-1 2025 study is for people with cochlear implants. To test the viability of the treatment, participants will be injected with stem cells, and then their cochlear implants will be turned off.

Please correct me if I am wrong. I am not concerned about my hearing, as I just want my tinnitus to stop.

Rinri Therapeutics plans to begin clinical trials in the United Kingdom in 2025, initially focusing on patients with severe to profound age-related hearing loss. The trials will likely involve the use of cochlear implants to objectively measure the therapy's effectiveness, as these devices can detect signals from the cochlea.

The company has made progress in optimizing the safety of the therapy, as well as its manufacturing process and delivery method. This includes developing a surgical approach to access the cochlea.

 

[Nick47]

It appears the Rincell-1 2025 study is for people with cochlear implants. To test the viability of the treatment, participants will be injected with stem cells, and then their cochlear implants will be turned off.

Please correct me if I am wrong. I am not concerned about my hearing, as I just want my tinnitus to stop.

Hi @Ken219. They are conducting a pilot study on three to six patients. All of them will be receiving cochlear implants. This approach is convenient for several reasons. First, the patients are already undergoing surgery, which provides easy access to the inner ear. Second, cochlear implants are sensitive to changes in ear health over time. This allows the researchers to objectively monitor what is happening, in addition to using audiograms.

 

[LovableGamer]

I really hope they achieve good results. If that happens, I also hope they include people who use hearing aids. I believe this could potentially restore a portion of my hearing loss, since it is sensorineural, but I am not sure.