Will new drug be a game-changer for hearing loss?

Enzyme inhibition could hold the key to help millions

The Journal of Experimental Medicine published a new study indicating that the inhibition of an enzyme known as cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) could potentially play a part in saving the hearing of millions.

CDK2 inhibiting factors have been found to protect rodents from noise- and drug-related hearing loss, and could have major implications for humans as well. No current medications for hearing loss have received FDA approval.

Almost half a billion people worldwide have a disabling degree of hearing loss, whether attributed to birth defects, usage of medications or environmental factors. If the study’s findings can help those in the latter two categories, the implications for the hearing industry and for patients worldwide would be immeasurable.

In the past, numerous studies have reported on the potentially damaging effects certain medications can have on the hearing of individuals. This latest experiment, however, could be groundbreaking in finding medicinal aids that could potentially preserve the hearing of patients around the world.

SOURCE: Medical News Today