Australian researchers are trying a novel way to boost the power of cochlear implants: They used the technology to beam gene therapy into the ears of deaf animals and found it improved hearing. The approach isn't ready for human testing, but it's part of growing research into ways to let users of cochlear implants experience richer, more normal sound. Normally, microscopic hair cells in a part of the inner ear called the cochlea detect vibrations and convert them to electrical impulses that the brain recognizes as sound. Hearing loss typically occurs as those hair cells are lost, whether from aging, exposure to loud noises or other factors. Cochlear implants substitute for the missing hair cells, sending electrical impulses to directly activate auditory nerves in the brain. They've been implanted in more than 300,000 people. While highly successful, they don't restore hearing to normal, missing out on musical tone, for instance. The idea behind the project: Perhaps a closer connection between the implant and the auditory nerves would improve hearing. Those nerves' bushlike endings can regrow if exposed to nerve-nourishing proteins called neurotrophins. Usually, the hair cells would provide those. Researchers at Australia's University of New South Wales figured out a … Continue reading →

According to the World Health Organization, more than 360 million people worldwide live with disabling hearing loss, and for many, devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants allow them to maintain a normal life style. But what if a cochlear device could offer a biological solution that would enhance a patients experience? For the first time, researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia have used cochlear implants to regenerate auditory nerves through gene therapy, a process where therapeutic DNA is inserted into cells to treat a disease. Cochlear implants work by converting sounds into electrical signals that are sent directly to the auditory nerve, bypassing the outer and middle ear. The process allows for significantly improved hearing, including the ability to maintain a phone conversation, but the sounds they provide for patients are monotone and robotic. Ultimately, we hope that after further research, people who depend on cochlear implant devices will be able to enjoy a broader dynamic and tonal range of sound, which is particularly important for our sense of the auditory world around us and for music appreciation, says Professor Gary Housley, Director of the Translational Neuroscience Facility at UNSW Medicine. In 1993 multiple … Continue reading →