Article about Otomagnetics in Action on Hearing Loss newsletter

Professor Benjamin Shapiro (BioE/ISR) has an interesting article written in the newsletter of the United Kingdom charity, Action on Hearing Loss (AHL). ISR Associate Research Scientist Didier Depireux also is a co-founder of Otomagnetics and a key member of the research team.

The charity was founded in 1911 as the the National Bureau for Promoting the General Welfare of the Deaf to support and care for people with hearing loss, to educate those at risk of damaging their hearing, and to raise awareness of how isolating hearing loss can be. Since that time, the charity has created initiatives and supported research to reach those with hearing loss, those at risk of losing their hearing, and those who do not realize how isolating hearing loss can be.

Each month AHL releases a “scientifically speaking” article. This month it is written from Shapiro’s perspective as an academic researcher who has started the company Otomagnetics to develop technology that can magnetically inject drugs such as antibiotics and steroids into the cochlea. The therapy is showing great promise in treating ear infections, treating noise-induced hearing loss (in animal models); suppressing tinnitus, and protecting hearing from chemotherapy regimens, which are known to damage hearing.

In the article, Shapiro says, “My ultimate goal is to improve lives. There are steps to take and challenges to meet, but it’s clear we can better deliver therapy to the cochlea. We’ll get there.”

| Read the article here |

Published November 14, 2016