Otolaryngology News and Research

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The medical discipline and practice of otolaryngology is a specialty that addresses conditions of the ears, nose, and throat. Another name for this practice is otolaryngology head and neck surgery.

Detailed genetic testing of head and neck cancers could lead to more personalized treatments

Research led by UNC School of Medicine student Wesley Stepp, PhD, shows how more detailed genetic testing of head and neck tumors could lead to more personalized treatments for patients.

26 Apr 2018

Direct electrical current can be delivered to nerves for blocking pain signals

Using computer models and laboratory rats, Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that "direct electrical current" can be delivered to nerves preferentially, blocking pain signals while leaving other sensations undisturbed.

18 Apr 2018

Middle ear infection can lead to deadly neurological complications

While antibiotics have greatly reduced the dangers of ear infections, serious neurological complications, including hearing loss, facial paralysis, meningitis and brain abscess still occur, according to an article in the journal Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports.

16 Apr 2018

Patient's mucus may help predict type of chronic sinusitis

By April, nearly one-third of the U.S. is already experiencing high pollen levels while the weather and temperatures continue to fluctuate, aggravating sinus symptoms. A patient's mucus may predict the type of his or her chronic sinusitis, which could help doctors determine whether surgery or medical treatments can produce the best outcomes, according to a recently published Vanderbilt study.

9 Apr 2018

Researchers find potential remedy that could restore hearing for millions

Researchers at USC and Harvard have developed a new approach to repair cells deep inside the ear -- a potential remedy that could restore hearing for millions of elderly people and others who suffer hearing loss.

5 Apr 2018

Scientists reveal novel approach to restoration of hearing

Hearing loss is a common affliction associated with advancing age and exposure to very loud noises, affecting two-thirds of adults over age 70.

4 Apr 2018

FDA-approved drug for chemical abortion shows promise for treatment of vestibular schwannoma

Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers have shown that mifepristone, a drug currently FDA-approved for chemical abortion, prevents the growth of vestibular schwannoma cells. This sometimes-lethal intracranial tumor typically causes hearing loss and tinnitus

3 Apr 2018

Increased rate of accidental injuries associated with poorer hearing ability

Accidental injuries are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that unintentional injuries accounted for 5 percent of all deaths in 2011 and 28 million emergency room visits in 2013.

22 Mar 2018

Slow-release injectable gel boosts toxicity of cancer-fighting immunotherapy drugs

An immunotherapy drug embedded in a slow-release hydrogel invented at Rice University in collaboration with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston appears to be highly effective at killing cancer cells.

7 Mar 2018

Prevention and treatment of drug-induced hearing loss

A new special publication orchestrated by five of the nation's leading hearing experts compiles the latest research into hearing loss caused by drugs and solvents - how it occurs, how to treat it, and how to prevent it.

7 Mar 2018

Johns Hopkins researchers invent new class of immunotherapy drugs to fight cancer

Johns Hopkins researchers have invented a new class of cancer immunotherapy drugs that are more effective at harnessing the power of the immune system to fight cancer.

2 Mar 2018

Researchers identify link between physical inactivity and lung, head/neck cancers

An increasing body of evidence suggests that a lack of exercise can cause a wide variety of diseases, but physical inactivity is not currently recognized as a risk factor for cancer.

9 Feb 2018

Human iPS cell-derived inner ear cells may improve hereditary hearing loss

A Japanese research group has successfully grafted human iPS cell-derived inner ear cells that express human-derived proteins into the inner ears of embryonic mice.

8 Feb 2018

HPV may hide in small pockets on the tonsil surface

Human papilloma virus, the culprit behind cervical cancer and some forms of head and neck cancer may hide in small pockets on the surface of tonsils in people not known to carry the virus.

31 Jan 2018

Physicians use pyridostigmine to reverse pediatric complications from botulinum toxin therapy

Physicians at the Medical University of South Carolina report the first pediatric use of a treatment to reverse complications from botulinum toxin therapy.

27 Jan 2018

Scientists to test digital nanosensor that lights up cancer tissues

UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center scientists next month will begin testing a digital nanosensor that lights up cancer tissue to see whether it can improve the accuracy of cancer surgeries, thereby reducing cancer recurrence and surgical morbidity.

25 Jan 2018

Depressive symptoms associated with poorer survival in patients with head and neck cancer

In a study of patients with head and neck cancer, even mild depressive symptoms were associated with poorer overall survival.

22 Jan 2018

Experimental device could help ease tinnitus symptoms by targeting unruly nerve activity in the brain

Millions of Americans hear ringing in their ears -- a condition called tinnitus -- but a new study shows an experimental device could help quiet the phantom sounds by targeting unruly nerve activity in the brain.

5 Jan 2018

Researchers grow hairy skin using mouse stem cells

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have cultured the first lab-grown skin tissue complete with hair follicles.

3 Jan 2018

Macrophages play major role in helping early breast cancer cells spread even before tumor develops

Mount Sinai researchers have discovered that normal immune cells called macrophages, which reside in healthy breast tissue surrounding milk ducts, play a major role in helping early breast cancer cells leave the breast for other parts of the body, potentially creating metastasis before a tumor has even developed, according to a study published in Nature Communications.

2 Jan 2018