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A new drug could restore hearing by "activating" genes that keep vital hair cells alive in the inner ear, according to a new study
The study shows that A special type of genetic deafness, called DFNA27, can be reversed by using a molecular drug that "acts as a switch" for deafness, according to one researcher.
"We have been able to partially restore the hearing, especially at lower frequencies, and save some sensory cells from the hair," said Thomas Friedman, a co-author of the program. study.
Although the study was conducted on mice, the researchers say, "If further studies show that small molecule drugs are effective in treating DFNA27 deafness in humans, it is possible that other hereditary approaches progressive hearing loss.
Deafness has genetic causes in over 50 percent of people – and is largely incurable.
a new drug could restore hearing by activating genes that create hair cells in the inner ear
What the researchers did
The team at NIDCD (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) mice with DRNA27: a mutation on human chromosomes that causes hereditary deafness.
The researchers discovered how a mutation on DFNA27 prevents the production of hair cells in the inner ear through a process called REST.
drug the size of a molecule. This stopped REST and helped build new hair cells: partially restore the hearing of mice.
"We found that the drug was acting as a switch in the sensory cells of the hair," says Botond Banfi, author of the study. ] The results of this study were originally published in Cell.
The Importance of Genetics in Deafness
Researchers hope to use mice as a model for this specific form of human deafness.
"These findings demonstrate the value of studying the molecular mechanisms underlying inherited forms of deafness," says Andrew Griffith, NIDCD's Scientific Director. "Following these genetic tracks, we find new and unexpected pathways that can, in cases like this, discover unexpected potential therapeutic strategies in humans.
Photo: Molecular Harvard scientists can cure mice with hearing loss
A study of 2017 showed how a genetic modification treatment can reverse deafness in mice hope for human treatments.
The new treatment developed by researchers at Harvard University used a technique called Crispr CAS-9.
The technique deactivated a gene variant causing TMC1 deafness in mice born with a condition that progressively makes them deaf.
Treatment was hailed as a dramatic step toward treatment for children who are born deaf.
HEREDITARY HEARING PROBLEMS
Genetic mutations can cause hearing loss in many ways.
Genetic factors make some people more vulnerable to hearing loss than others. Their genes make them more susceptible to hearing loss due to aging or induced by noise, drugs or infections. It is estimated that the causes of age-related hearing loss are genetic 35-55%.
Examples of hereditary hearing loss causing hearing loss include otosclerosis, Usher syndrome and Pendred syndrome. You can find more specific information about the different syndromes under "Hearing Loss Syndromes".
The sensory cells of the ear play a vital role in our hearing, and mutations in these cells can prevent them from functioning properly, resulting in hearing loss.
Finally, genetic mutations can cause several hereditary states unrelated to hearing combined with deformation of the inner ear, resulting in deafness at birth or later in life.
Scientists from around the world are working on genetic mapping. mutations badociated with hearing loss and frequently make new discoveries. Other scientists are experimenting with gene therapies that could become important treatments for hereditary and genetic hearing loss in the future, possibly in combination with stem cell therapy.
Source: hear-it
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