Tinnitus and chemistry
Tinnitus is the medical term used to describe the perception of noise in the ears without an external sound source.
All otorhinolaryngologists – specialists in Ear, Nose and throat (ENT) disorders – agree that tinnitus is not a disease but the onset of other factors, such as exposure to noise, presbycusis (hearing loss related to age), and other traumatic incidents.
(Note: go to this article to read about “What is tinnitus, its causes and treatments?“)
Tinnitus is a multifactorial condition, but here we are going to focus on the chemistry behind tinnitus. Chemically speaking, one of the factors that can cause tinnitus can be the intake of pharmaceutical drugs and supplements such as:
- Salicylate
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs)
- Antibiotics
- Diuretics
- Chemotherapy
And some vitamins do help
However, in the same way that some drugs in the chemical world can contribute to the onset of tinnitus, others can help with its disappearance. This is the case with some vitamins such as zinc or vitamin B12.
(Note: go to this article to read “The 4 vitamins that help tinnitus“)
Zinc, for example, in the form of Picolinate, taken in a dosage of 90-150 mg/day for three months, can help alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus, especially if a Zinc deficiency is present in the tinnitus sufferer or the symptoms are associated with age-related hearing loss.
And what about vitamin B12? Several studies have linked a deficiency of B12 with auditory dysfunction, concluding that vitamin B12 supplements improve symptoms in patients with tinnitus, as demonstrated in in many case studies.
But here comes the interesting part…
It is believed that one of the factors that produce tinnitus is nervous over-activity in the brain.
Due to this, a team of US scientists has developed a new treatment based on the drug called NST-001 (the unusual name NST-001 is used because, during the trial phase of a new drug, the pharmaceutical company will name the experimental drug using a code of letters and numbers).
The action of this drug is to calm the hyperactivity of the auditory nerves.
The reason this treatment works in some cases could be due to a chemical in the brain known as Glutamate, which causes neurons to become hyperactive.
This hyperactivity is what results in tinnitus sufferers hearing sounds they would not normally.
Now all our hopes are placed in the NST-001
In the absence of an effective cure for tinnitus at present, it is believed that with this new treatment, NST-001 could be a definitive solution for tinnitus.
Essentially, by blocking the production of excess glutamate, the hyperactivity of auditory nerves is reduced, thus alleviating the perception of internal sounds which result as an effect of tinnitus.
We must emphasize:
At the moment the new treatment is still undergoing clinical trials, but it has already been tested on animals and humans, showing very encouraging results in the relief of tinnitus symptoms.
Now we need to wait until the medical community determines if it is an effective way to combat tinnitus.
[Update] The company that was researching and developing the NST-001 drug no longer exists
For those of us who had placed all our hopes on NeuroSystec to find the definitive cure for tinnitus, this news came as a shock.
NeuroSystec, the company that was researching and developing the NST-001 drug shut down (not even the website remains…). And its main researchers, Bruno Frachet, MD and Pierre Garin, MD did not publish any results.
I initially interpreted this as a very bad sign. If the company that is investigating the cure against tinnitus has closed after two phases, this can’t be good news.
But this could be a godsend
But then came the best news:
The biopharmaceutical giant Otonomy issued a press release stating that it’s them who have bought NeuroSystec. And not only that, but they declared that they have bought the research rights to the cure of tinnitus.
Otonomy, who are based in California and listed on the prestigious Nasdaq stock exchange, also states that it begins with phase I of the OTO-311 drug trials, with satisfactory results.
(Here, everything really points to the fact that Otonomy has taken the NST-001 and has continued developing it under its own name, OTO-311, which could mean very good news for us tinnitus sufferers.)
Think about it:
The NST-001 had already passed two satisfactory phases, and passed with flying colours. Why would an American giant want to buy them and follow the experiment under their own name? Exactly, because they believe that there is potentially a cure for tinnitus.
Otonomy has already confirmed the success of the first tests of OTO-311 and that the drug will consist of a single injection administered to the patient (this is an injection that I would be more than happy to have, as you know).
Now they have moved on to the next testing phase, where the drug goes by the name of OTO-313, and which will end in early 2019.
Fingers Crossed!
References
Leave a Reply