Over time, hair-like sensory cells and bundles of neurons that transmit their vibrations break down, as do ribbon-like synapses, which connect the cells. Hearing loss occurs due to aging, working with noisy machines and too many loud concerts. Specifically, it targets the cochlea, a snail-like structure in the inner ear where sensitive cells convey sound to the brain. The study breaks new ground because researchers developed a novel drug-delivery method. They are already planning the next phase involving animals and hearing loss. McKenna says since the technique works in the laboratory, the findings provide "strong preliminary evidence" it could work in living creatures. Yet, the researchers are hopeful given the similarities of cells and mechanisms involved. It has not yet been tested in living animals or humans. The research was conducted on animal tissues in a petri dish. The facility will house the new USC Center of Excellence in Drug Discovery, with McKenna as its director. The Michelson Center unites USC experts across disciplines to solve some of the most intractable research challenges related to health at the molecular level. It is the latest achievement in USC's priority program to advance biomedicine, including the recent launching of the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. McKenna co-authored it with David Jung of Harvard Medical School, among others. The paper was published April 4 in the journal Bioconjugate Chemistry. It's also important because it may be adaptable for other drugs that need to be applied within the inner ear." This is a first for hearing loss and the ear. "Inside this part of the ear, there's fluid constantly flowing that would sweep dissolved drugs away, but our new approach addresses that problem. McKenna, a corresponding author for the study and chemistry professor at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "What's new here is we figured out how to deliver a drug into the inner ear so it actually stays put and does what it's supposed to do, and that's novel," said Charles E. It's a potential remedy for a problem that afflicts two-thirds of people over 70 years and 17 percent of all adults in the United States. The lab study demonstrates a novel way for a drug to zero in on damaged nerves and cells inside the ear.
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