Some very interesting work by Dr. Kathleen Campbell is revealing that there may be potential to produce an orally induced drug that could act as a preventative to hearing loss.
The effect was discovered in 1996 when Dr Campbell and her team discovered that the drug D-methionine (a micro-nutrient found in proteinaceous foods suck as cheese and yoghurt) was effective in protecting rats from cisplatin (a chemotherapy drug) ototoxicity. Other lab testing since has shown that it is also possible to prevent permanent hearing threshold shift from high levels of exposure to sound. Furthermore, some of Dr. Campbell’s work has also suggested that the drug is even effective working retroactively, as long as it is taken within 7 hours of exposure!
While the lab testing is extremely valuable, the really interesting bulk of the work is yet to come, with clinical trials of the drug currently on stage 3 (the last of the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) trial stages). These trials are being run in partnership with the US Department of Defence, and they are hoping to help soldiers prevent hearing loss when exposed to unavoidably high impulsive sound trauma. The trial is due to end in 2018.
It’s amazing to suggest that if the trial goes well, we may be able to take a pill to prevent hearing loss before going to a music performance, or in an emergency after some accidental exposure or noise trauma.
For more information:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/11/prweb11265064.htm
http://www.siumed.edu/news/ReleasesFY14/MedSchoolHearingLossStudyAdvanceswithDODGrant.html
