In a research article inBMC Medicinethis week, Nakagawa and colleaguesexaminewhether insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) applied topically through gelatin hydrogels could both improve hearing, and minimize adverse effects in patients who were initially unresponsive to treatment with systemic glucocorticoids for SSHL. Inner ear cells have limited regenerative capacity, and so it seems that using a growth factor topically to protect against further degeneration has a positive effect on hearing. These initial findings suggest that this approach may have great potential in helping tackle SSHL and provides hope for hitherto untreatable patients.
Whilst there is still muchcontroversysurrounding both theetiologyand potential treatments for SSHL, this is an area of intenseresearchand so with positive breakthroughs such as that presented by Nakagawaet al, it appears we are going some way to reduce themiseryexperienced by sufferers of SSHL.
Comments