Novel approach to treating hearing loss

GenVec today reported that encouraging preclinical findings on a novel approach to treating hearing loss have been published in the March 2005 issue of Nature Medicine.

The article, "Auditory Hair Cell Replacement and Hearing Improvement by Atoh1 Gene Therapy in Deaf Mammals," describes research conducted by Yehoash Raphael, Ph.D. and colleagues at the University of Michigan, in which the delivery of GenVec's proprietary Atoh1 (MATH1) gene by the company's proprietary adenovector generated new hair cells in mature deaf guinea pig inner ears and improved hearing thresholds. The vibration of hair cells in the inner ear, when stimulated by sound, is crucial to normal hearing. The data suggest a possible new therapeutic approach to hearing loss may be found through delivery of certain developmental genes for hair cell regrowth in the inner ear.

Douglas E. Brough, Ph.D., GenVec's director of vector sciences, commented, "We are encouraged by the promising results of this research, which may facilitate the treatment of diminished hearing caused by hair cell loss in the inner ear because of aging or trauma."

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss. Most deafness occurs because the hair cells of the inner ear are damaged by disease, injury or aging.

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