Researchers Use Chemotherapy Drug to Make Potential Hearing Loss Breakthrough

A study by researchers at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Science Advances identified an oral chemotherapy drug, dabrafenib, that can protect against hearing loss in mice, which may also be applicable to humans, reports Verywell Health . Dabrafenib inhibits the BRAF kinase pathway that prevents the death of hair cells in the inner ears of mice. "Since dabrafenib is already a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, and it has very minimal side effects . . . we're hoping we can get it to clinical trials faster," said Creighton's Matthew Ingersoll. Creighton Professor Tal Tietz also noted that the drug is well-tolerated by many, which makes it a good candidate to progress through hearing clinical trials. When some mice were administered dabrafenib 24 hours after noise exposure, and others were given dabrafenib in conjunction with the oral compound AZD5438, dabrafenib alone accorded hearing protection after noise exposure, and the mice had nearly full noise protection in combination with AZD5438. "By combining these two drugs and seeing that they work well together, we can actually lower the dose of both of them," Ingersoll said. "This helps reduce any side effects that the patient could possibly get, and it's much easier on the patients."