Drug may help troops battle combat-related hearing loss
City scientists say pill could benefit others
Drug may help troops battle combat-related hearing loss
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By Brian Kimball
Published: July 6, 2008
Two Oklahoma City scientists believe they are on a track that will lead to a significant reduction in combat-related hearing loss suffered by troops.
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Combining cancer drug
Now Kopke is teaming with Floyd to combine NAC with a drug used in cancer research and age-related diseases to create a mixture that prevents hair cells in the ear from dying after exposure to loud noises.
Their study focuses on administering the two-drug combination of NAC and 4-OHPBN nitrone after a traumatic noise event because "it may not be advantageous to give it to 1,000 people when only maybe 100 are going to experience hearing loss,” Kopke said.
What studies found
Floyd and Kopke are conducting trials of the drug on chinchillas, an animal that has a hearing range and ear structure similar to humans. The findings have yielded results better than expected, Floyd said.
After exposing the chinchillas to 105 decibel noise for six hours — roughly the equivalent of being in the front row at a rock concert — the animals are injected with the drug under their skin.
Without the medication, hair cells in the ear died, resulting in hearing loss.
The scientists have seen a retention rate of 90 percent of the animals' hearing for those that received the drug four hours after traumatic noise exposure.
Animals given the drug 12 hours after noise exposure retained 80 percent of their hearing. If given the drug 24 hours later they showed a 50 percent retention rate, Kopke said.
The chinchillas' hearing levels are measured by putting a sensor in their ears that picks up electrical activity in their brains.
Floyd and Kopke also are checking for adverse effects the drug might have.
While NAC and the nitrone by themselves have been deemed safe by the FDA, it is unclear whether they are completely safe together.
The side effects discovered from Kopke's earlier trial on Marines using only NAC were minimal (headaches and upset stomach), he said.
The scientists hope clinical trials on humans are a possibility in one or two years, Kopke said.
Related Topics:
Science and Technology, Technology, Health and Fitness, Sciences, Medical Technology, Hearing Loss and Deafness
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