MIT Scientists Formulate New Regenerative Drug For Reversing Hearing Loss

Biotechnology company, Frequency Therapeutics, is extensively using a regenerative treatment to repair hearing loss. Progenitor cells are programmed within the inner ear to form tiny hair cells. Thus, by using small molecules, humans can listen loud and clear.

Nevertheless, hair cells tend to die when medicines and loud noises are exposed. Frequency’s medication candidate is meant to be injected deep into the ear. This helps in rebuilding the tiny hair cells within the cochlea.

This biotech company has already amplified people’s hearing in significant clinical trials. Speech perception tests have revealed that this regenerative treatment can interpret and distinguish words. And that is precisely what the scientists were aiming for.

Numerous subjects showed considerable improvements in speech perception only after a single injection. Their first clinical research, Frequency, revealed that some responses lasted almost two years.

To date, the organization has successfully dosed more than 200 people. And the best part is that they all found clinically significant improvements in speech perception. On the other hand, researchers found no differences in hearing in another study between the placebo and treatment groups. Nevertheless, manufacturers consider this a problem in the trial’s design.

From Lab to Patients

The founders believed that their approach was beneficial to gene therapies. So extracting patients’ cells, programming them in the lab, and delivering them to patients, is what they do.

Advancing Regenerative Medicine

The company has been developing an effective drug for treating multiple sclerosis. Here, the immune system attacks the myelin of the central nervous system and brain. This drug was earlier tested on mice, which showed incredible results. Frequency expects a new drug application with the FDA for MS next year.