Open AccessCochlear implantation trauma and noise‐induced hearing loss: Apoptosis and therapeutic strategies
Author(s) -
Eshraghi Adrien A.,
Van De Water Thomas R.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the anatomical record part a: discoveries in molecular, cellular, and evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1552-4892
pISSN - 1552-4884
DOI - 10.1002/ar.a.20305
Subject(s) - organ of corti , hearing loss , cochlea , medicine , programmed cell death , hair cell , noise induced hearing loss , audiology , apoptosis , noise exposure , biology , biochemistry
Cochlear implantation trauma and noise‐induced hearing loss both involve a physical disruption of the organ of Corti and may involve several mechanisms of cell death at the molecular level, i.e., necrosis, necrosis‐like programmed cell death (PCD; type 2 PCD), and apoptosis (type 1 PCD). This article reviews several promising therapeutic strategies that are currently being developed. One of these promising new strategies involves the use of a highly effective peptide inhibitor of the c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase cell death signal cascade (i.e., D‐JNKI‐1) to prevent apoptosis of injured auditory hair cells. Our recent studies showed prevention of cochlear implantation‐induced hearing loss by infusing this peptide into the cochlea of guinea pigs. Another otoprotective therapy under investigation is the application of mild hypothermia to protect the cochlea from the development of a hearing loss that follows exposure to a physical trauma, e.g., electrode array insertional trauma. These forward‐looking strategies have the potential of improving hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation and providing novel means of otoprotection from noise‐induced trauma. Anat Rec Part A, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.