Scientists From MIT Reverse Hearing Loss In Patients Using Experimental Therapy

A treatment that reverses hearing loss may have been developed by scientists at MIT. The team has devised a new type of regenerative therapy that reverses hearing loss without any hearing aids/cochlear implants.

The team from MIT is also behind the biotech firm Frequency Therapeutics. Scientists programmed special kinds of human cells called progenitor cells and discovered a fresh approach that aids the growth of hair cells inside the cochlea - a bone in the inner ear that facilitates hearing.

The problem with hair cells inside the ear are that they perish over time, especially if exposed to excessive noise. Unfortunately, they don't grow back on their own but this new regenerative therapy could help bring back some degree of hearing abilities.

These images show cellular regeneration, in pink, in a preclinical model of sensorineural hearing loss. The control is on the left and the right has been treated. Credit: Hinton AS, Yang-Hood A, Schrader AD, Loose C, Ohlemiller KK, McLean WJ.

What is the new therapy about?

In the experiments, scientists noted that participants' ability to perceive speech had improved. For perspective, speech perception is key in reversing hearing loss. In a statement, Frequency co-founder and CEO Chris Loose called speech perception the "number one goal for improving hearing and the number one need we hear from patients."

These two images show that one of Frequency¡¯s lead compounds, FREQ-162, drives progenitor cells to turn into oligodendrocytes. The control is on the left and the right has been treated. Credit: Frequency Therapeutics

Also read: Spiders Routinely Use Webs To Expand Their Hearing Capabilities: Here's How

In some cases, the positive effects of this treatment lingered in patients for almost two years. But what exactly are they doing? Scientists injected molecules into the inner ear, which then transform existing progenitor cells into other cells that may help grow hair cells inside the cochlea, improving the scope of speech perception.

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"I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if in ten or 15 years, because of the resources being put into this space and the incredible science being done," said Frequency co-founder Jeff Karp in the statement. Karp believes that reversing hearing loss could become a lot like Lasik surgery for correcting vision, which is a short surgery that helps restore people's vision.

Also read: Scientists Use New Ultrasound Tech To Treat Type 2 Diabetes Without Insulin

It appears that Frequency is now recruiting for a 124-person trial. Its preliminary results should be available early next year.

What do you think about this fascinating new treatment that could aid people with hearing loss? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Collins, C. (2022, April 10). MIT Scientists Develop New Regenerative Drug That Reverses Hearing Loss. SciTechDaily.

Tangermann, V. (2022, April 11). MIT Scientists Say They¡¯ve Invented a Treatment That Reverses Hearing Loss. Futurism.