"Pharmacy Tuesdays" Lecture – July 4

Cell Therapy in the Inner Ear: New Developments and Prospects – Azel zine

Abstract: Aging, exposure to high noise levels, ototoxic medications, and certain diseases such as diabetes can cause hearing loss. According to the WHO, 15% of the world’s population is affected by hearing disorders, and this figure is on the rise. More than 90% of hearing loss is caused by damage to hair cells (sensory cells in the inner ear responsible for hearing) or the auditory nerve. Currently, treating these hearing impairments remains a challenge, as the solutions offered to patients are designed to alleviate the symptoms of these conditions (hearing aids) but do not restore hearing. Our team has been working for about a decade on an innovative solution focused on developing biotherapies for sensorineural hearing loss. We recently demonstrated a proof of concept for cell therapy through the first cochlear transplant trials in an animal model of hearing loss. I will conclude this presentation by discussing the critical biotechnological challenges that remain to be overcome before we can implement a cell therapy to treat hearing loss in humans.