Intermountain Treating Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Through Inner Ear Permeable Retinoid

Overview

In the modern era, we are all exposed to increasingly harmful environmental and occupational noise. Despite the fact that there are currently 1.1 billion young people around the world who are susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), there are no treatments available. NIHL is triggered through the loss of inner hair cells (IHC) as a result of various pathways including inflammation, oxidative stress, and calcium overloading. Retinoids counteract these through their varied effects on biological proce sses modulating cellular differentiation and proliferation. Unfortunately, these IHCs are in the inner ear which is protected by the round window membrane (RWM). Previously, treatment included perforation of this membrane, but this ultimately resulted in complications such as drug displacement from leaking cerebrospinal fluid. This project conjugated a chosen retinoid already in use in the pharmaceutical market to hyaluronic acid --a very permeable molecule. Qualitative analysis demonstrated that the retinoid permeated through models of the RWM. An ideal retinoid that is able to resist the strain of the conjugation process is able to reach and naturally permeate into the inner ear, allowing for long-term efficacy in its treatment with safe and effective dosing. This novel drug delivery system may be on the path to being a legitimate treatment for a previously untreatable medical affliction affecting billions. Allowing this retinoid to be directly exposed to the IHCs, will help further investigate the disease's pathways, demystifying one of the largest unmet medical needs.