Unfortunately, hearing damage is often incurable. After all, it’s still impossible to re-grow hair cells in the inner ear. We also can’t repair nerve damage.
Hence, many scientists put their focus on the prevention of hearing loss. Here is a quick look at a new potential solution.
Prevention of Hearing Loss with Medication
Scientists have found a drug that could help decrease your chances of hearing damage. It is called CDK2. So what does this drug do?
The researchers injected CDK2 into the middle ear of both mice and rats. This led to great results.
Even when they were exposed to 100 decibels of noise, the mice and rats retained their hearing. Hence, this drug could be the key to the prevention of hearing loss. In particular, it could help people who deal with a lot of noise at their workplace.
There is another way this discovery could be important.
Cisplatin is a cancer drug that can save lives. However, it is very likely to cause hearing loss as well. It’s not always possible to avoid using this drug, despite the intense negative side effects.
But CDK2 could help with this issue. It may be possible to use this new treatment to prevent the damage that cisplatin causes.
A Final Word
Could CDK2 change the way we think about hearing loss prevention?
The tests so far have been promising. However, scientists still need to research this drug extensively. We don’t know whether it has negative side effects.
For now, the best way to prevent hearing loss is to be careful. Thus, you should avoid exposure to loud noises and always use hearing protection.
