"Pharmacy Tuesdays" Lecture – July 4

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

Abstract: Aging, exposure to loud noise, 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 the proof of concept for cell therapy with 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.