If you’ve recently discovered that you have hearing loss, you will probably seek help in the hope of fully recovering your hearing loss. You may have Googled hearing loss and looked for a cure. You’ll quickly find out that hearing loss is a complex situation, and there are many potential causes–all of which require different treatments.
No one surgery or drug can miraculously cure hearing loss most of the time. Follow along with The Hearing Associates of Las Vegas as we help you learn about the different types of hearing loss and the current technology available that can help you regain your hearing.
Different hearing loss types and treatments
The main types of hearing loss are conductive, sensorineural, and mixed. Each requires its own treatment approach. For conductive hearing loss, the signal to the brain is lost. When a sound happens nearby, the auditory canal becomes disrupted, causing the small bones in your ear to make sense of it.
While there are many causes for this interruption, some of the most common are ear infections and natural malformations of the outer or middle ear. Treatment for a malformation is almost always surgery to create the pathway. Treating infections is done through antibiotics, but in some extreme cases may also require surgery.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss is also known as nerve-related hearing loss and is caused by injury to the inner ear or the connecting nerve between the inner ear and brain. Sensorineural hearing loss is often caused by disease, injuries to the head, noise exposure, ototoxic drugs which can damage hearing, and the inevitability of aging.
Sadly, once those inner ear cells are damaged, there is no repair or replacement. The shelf life of the inner ear cells is essentially “good until damaged.” That said, the sooner medical help can be given, the better the chances are of slowing the hearing loss.
Mixed Hearing Loss
Chronic suppurative otitis media (persistent discharge from the middle ear) or advanced otosclerosis (when one or more of the inner ear bones cannot move freely) causes most mixed hearing loss. This form of hearing loss is treatable, especially when attended to early on. If not treated early on, people in later stages usually compensate by wearing hearing aids.
Is There a Cure for Hearing Loss?
Globally, researchers have spent decades looking for a cure for hearing loss–especially for sensorineural hearing loss. Currently, no cure has been found. But the question remains: Will there be a cure for hearing loss in the future?
While there are no promises, a few projects hold promise that a cure for hearing loss could be forthcoming.
Stem Cell Research
Stem cell research is changing medical research in various medical conditions, and hearing loss is no exception, as stem cells can develop into hair cells. Chickens, zebrafish, and mice have stem cells in their inner ears. Under the proper conditions, stem cells develop into cells quite similar to hair cells.
Research is ongoing at several prestigious universities like Stanford, Rutgers, and MIT. While stem cell research has not produced a cure yet, the results are promising.
Progenitor Cell Activation Research
Also on the cutting edge of medical science is a drug being developed to regenerate hair cells by activating other cells already in the cochlea. The injectable drug to treat sensorineural hearing loss is being refined by a biotech company named Frequency Therapeutics. The drug, called FX-322, does a similar job to stem cells because it uses progenitor (originator) cells to encourage the development of hair cells and, ultimately the restoration of hearing.
The FX-322 drug hasn’t been released yet since it has to get the approval of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Though it has gone through five studies with nearly 200 subjects, it must be safe, effective, and reliable. So far, test subjects have reported no ill effects while boasting a significantly improved ability to recognize speech.
What does the future hold for FX-322, near and long term?
2022 begins with a new study underway. Enrolling 124 participants, this study began in October of last year and should wrap up later in November of this year.
The subjects are being put through tests during three separate office visits to offer a consistent baseline for their current hearing loss. This will rule out the potential for participants who may be overly eager to be part of the experimental drug program and have over-exaggerated their hearing impairment.
Qualifying participants will receive an injection into each ear, one with the FX-322 drug and the other with a placebo. After 90 days, the study will evaluate the subject’s speech perception as measured through word recognition scores.
Rising to the next level, Frequency Therapeutics is also developing a new drug candidate named FX-345. This drug is like FX-322 but looks to improve age-related hearing loss by targeting areas further into the cochlea. Researchers expect this to help them zero in on even more sensorineural types of hearing loss.
The GFI1 protein and the development of new hearing hair cells
University of Maryland scientists have identified a protein called GFI1 that plays a role in hearing cell development. Research shows that embryonic hair cells cannot develop into fully functioning adult cells without GFI1.
When the complicated path to hearing is found, GFI1 will play a part in reversing hearing loss.
Additional hearing loss thoughts
Until medical science finds a cure for hearing loss, there are ways to maintain your current hearing. Avoiding further damage to your hearing by using hearing protection will sustain your current level of hearing, even if it’s impaired.
Scheduling a consultation with a hearing professional who can evaluate and establish a baseline for your hearing will help down the road to determine if your hearing is improving or getting worse. A professional will make treatment recommendations, including hearing aids or clinical trials.
The Bottom Line
Presently, there is no cure for sensorineural hearing loss. However, there is hope. As of 2022, several studies are underway to find cures for hearing loss. Despite disappointing results in the past, FX-322 from Frequency Therapeutics remains a promising project and we may see results in the next decade.
The best thing you can do if you or a loved one are experiencing hearing loss is talk to a hearing professional to see what current technology can do for you. Living with hearing loss takes a toll on your physical and mental health. So reach out today to The Hearing Associates of Las Vegas to get you started on the path to better hearing and a better life.
info@hearingassociateslv.com
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