Scientists Create a Technology that Reverses Hearing Deficit
Frequency Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech firm founded by MIT researchers, has discovered a way of reversing hearing loss without the use of hearing aids or implantable devices. The company injects molecules into the cochlea to transform progenitor (which are cells in the inner ear that turn into hair-producing cells in utero before they go dormant). The company’s 200-person study showed that patients experienced a significant improvement in their hearing. Some reported improved speech perception following a single injection lasting nearly two years. Jeff Karp, a Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology affiliated faculty member, says that he wouldn’t be shocked if in 10 or 15 year’s time, the science and resources put into the field will allow us to reverse hearing loss in a similar way to Lasik, which can be done in just an hour. The drug is still undergoing testing but the breakthrough represents a positive milestone in the field of regenerative medicines. SciTechDaily has more information.
Source:
