Vibhuti Agrahari, Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma, has developed a drug-delivery system to reduce hearing loss caused by chemotherapy cisplatin.
Why it matters
While a life-saving drug for many cancer patients, taking cisplatin often leads to hearing loss, significantly diminishing a person's quality of life and, in children, cognitive development. This new drug-delivery system potentially prevents hearing damage during cancer treatment.
The challenge
When a patient receives cisplatin, the drug quickly finds the cochlea in the inner ear. It remains there for months, damaging the tiny hair cells critical for sound interpretation. This damage is irreversible and leads to hearing loss.
“To treat this type of hearing loss, we really wanted to focus on a prophylactic cure – giving the medications before the chemotherapy begins. We wanted to create a targeted drug delivery approach that can be given directly into the inner ear, rather than an oral drug that must travel throughout the body.” —Vibhuti Agrahari, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy
Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy delivered with a drip infusion.
How it works
Dr. Agrahari's drug-transport system delivers protective medications directly to the inner ear. Like a futuristic vehicle, it steers through the body with precision. The system comprises hydrogels (water-based substances) and nanoparticles carrying the drugs.
- The hydrogel begins as a liquid, allowing for easy injection, but transforms into a gel when it encounters the body's temperature.
- This gel is compatible with the human body, ensuring the immune system accepts it.
- The nanoparticles can cross membranes and reach the cochlea. These nanoparticles are 100 nanometers wide. In comparison, a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide.
- The nanoparticles release the drugs in the cochlea, preventing damage to the hair cells from cisplatin.
Reality check
- Dr. Agrahari continues to test various drugs with her system, including ones that block calcium (known to damage hair cells) and antioxidants that protect hair cells.
- Early testing indicates the system's effectiveness in preventing hearing loss.
"This is a small area of study that has a lot of potential. Cisplatin is an important, lifesaving drug that we need for the treatment of cancer, but hearing loss affects quality of life, as well as the developmental process for children, up to 90% of whom face hearing loss after receiving this type of chemotherapy. It is important that we devise a solution that prevents the damage from ever occurring.” —Dr. Vibhuti Agrahari
Hearing loss increases the risk of dementia
Call 708-599-9500 to schedule a free, 15-minute hearing screening with an audiologist.
★ For facts about hearing loss and hearing aid options, download The Hearing Loss Guide.
★ Sign up for our newsletter for the latest on Hearing aids, dementia triggered by hearing loss, pediatric speech and hearing, speech-language therapies, Parkinson's Voice therapies, and occupational-hearing conservation. We publish our newsletter eight times a year.
Don't let untreated hearing increase your risk of loneliness, falling, and dementia.
