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Review
. 2011 Jun;16(2):235-45.
doi: 10.1517/14728214.2011.552427. Epub 2011 Jan 20.

Emerging treatments for noise-induced hearing loss

Naoki Oishi  1 , Jochen Schacht
Affiliations
Review

Emerging treatments for noise-induced hearing loss

Naoki Oishi et al. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs. 2011 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: Approximately 5% of the population worldwide suffers from industrial, military or recreational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) at a great economic cost and detriment to the quality of life of the affected individuals. This review discusses pharmacological strategies to attenuate NIHL that have been developed in animal models and that are now beginning to be tested in field trials.

Areas covered: The review describes the epidemiology, pathology and pathophysiology of NIHL in experimental animals and humans. The underlying molecular mechanisms of damage are then discussed as a basis for therapeutic approaches to ameliorate the loss of auditory function. Finally, studies in military, industrial and recreational settings are evaluated. Literature was searched using the terms 'noise-induced hearing loss' and 'noise trauma'.

Expert opinion: NIHL, in principle, can be prevented. With the current pace of development, oral drugs to protect against NIHL should be available within the next 5-10 years. Positive results from ongoing trials combined with additional laboratory tests might accelerate the time from the bench to clinical treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest:

The authors state no conflict of interest and have received no payment in preparation of this manuscript

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Missing hair cells of the organ of Corti after noise exposure
Outer hair cells (OHC) comprise three rows, inner hair cells (IHC) a single row in the normal cochlea (left). Outer hair cells are a primary pathological target in acute NIHL, and start to disappear following noise exposure (middle). In the severely damaged cochlea, most of the outer hair cells are missing (right). Inner hair cells are usually preserved until all outer hair cells are destroyed.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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