New York, Feb 13: Researchers in the US have uncovered the pivotal role of zinc, an essential mineral for cellular function and hearing, in noise-induced hearing loss. They have demonstrated that this hearing impairment can be alleviated with medication.
Apart from the sensation of ringing ears, exposure to loud noises can result in temporary or permanent hearing loss, or significant changes in sound perception for some individuals.
A team from the University of Pittsburgh has identified that noise-induced hearing loss, affecting millions globally, originates from cellular damage in the inner ear linked to an excess of free-floating zinc.
Experiments conducted on mice revealed that drugs acting as molecular sponges to trap excess zinc can either restore lost hearing or, if administered prior to exposure to loud noises, prevent hearing loss.
Thanos Tzounopoulos, Professor and vice-chair of research of otolaryngology at the university, stated, “Noise-induced hearing loss impairs millions of lives but, because the biology of hearing loss is not fully understood, preventing hearing loss has been an ongoing challenge.”
Through experiments on mice and isolated inner ear cells, researchers observed a surge in zinc levels in the inner ear hours after exposure to loud noise. This influx of zinc, released into both the extra and intracellular space, leads to cellular damage and disrupts normal cell-to-cell communication.
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offer promising avenues for a potential solution. Mice treated with a slow-releasing compound that trapped excess zinc demonstrated reduced susceptibility to hearing loss and were shielded from noise-induced damage.
Researchers are currently developing a treatment for preclinical safety studies, aiming to offer a simple, over-the-counter option to safeguard against hearing loss.
