One in every 500 newborns worldwide are affected by nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL). Whole-exome sequencing may help in identifying the genetic cause of NSHL.

The most common genetic cause of hereditary deafness in humans are mutations in the GJB2 gene, especially the 35delG and 235delC mutations. At the recent ARO meeting, researchers from Ear Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University presented the creation of a novel mouse model for studying the pathogenic mechanisms of hereditary deafness resulting from these mutations.

Harmonin is a key factor in the maintenance of mechanosensory function in hair cells in the ear, and it is encoded by the USH1C gene.

Noise-induced hearing loss is still the most common cause of acquired hearing loss nowadays. The mechanisms behind this may be explained through inflammatory responses in the cochlea after acoustic trauma.

It has been previously demonstrated that noise exposure leads to activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and that inhibition of this pathway protects from hearing loss. Tizaterkib (formerly AZD-0364) is a novel, highly selective, orally bioavailable ERK1/2 inhibitor that is currently in early clinical development for the treatment of cancer. In recent work, investigators from Creighton University aimed to assess the potential of tizaterkib for the treatment of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Researchers from the University of Auckland have developed a smartphone app called Mindear that reduced the impact of tinnitus in two-thirds of users over eight weeks.Tinnitus, often referred to as ringing in the ears, is the perception of sound without an external source and affects 10% to 15% of the global adult population. Previous studies to treat tinnitus have focused on neuromodulation devices, but a smartphone app could make treatment more accessible to a wider population.