Stem cells against deafness: a clinical study
Researchers from the Texas Herman Memory Medical Center, working under the leadership of Sami Fakhri, have launched an innovative clinical trial aimed at testing the effectiveness of using cord blood stem cells to restore hearing in newborns.
Phase 1 of the clinical trial is conducted after the results of animal experiments have shown that the transplantation of umbilical cord blood cells ensures the restoration of the structures of the inner ear. There are also several evidences in favor of the effectiveness of such therapy in certain variants of deafness in humans.
One such example is the story of two-year-old Finn McGrath, whose brain was damaged during a long complicated labor. The result was insufficiency of internal organs, breathing problems and cerebral palsy, against which his parents did not pay much attention to the message that their child's hair cells – sensitive cells of the inner ear that register sounds – were damaged and the results of his hearing test were negative.
In search of ways to help their child, Finn's parents decided to take part in a clinical study dedicated to the treatment of cerebral palsy with the help of their own umbilical cord blood cells, which, according to the contract concluded before his birth, was stored in a private cryobank.
The procedure of cord blood procurement, which is the subject of heated debates among pediatricians, currently costs American parents about $ 2,000, not counting the fee for storage in liquid nitrogen. Private banks convince expectant parents to put their child's umbilical cord blood in storage for later use for personal purposes. At the same time, the American Academy of Pediatrics calls such actions unreasonable and promotes the placement of cord blood in state banks with the possibility of public use.
In November 2009, at about 7 weeks of age, Finn was injected with his own stem cells for the first time. After that, a second infusion was performed, and by May 2010, parents began to notice changes for the better. The child began to wake up from night noises, make sounds and react with a smile to the melodies and stories he had heard earlier.
In September 2010, a one-year-old Finn was injected with umbilical cord blood cells for the third time. Four months later, he has already received a positive result when testing for registration of otoacoustic emission, which consists in registering vibrations of the cochlea and hair cells arising in response to a certain sound. Finn's parents believe that the observed improvements are the result of the introduction of cord blood cells.
The beginning clinical trial will be the first stage of testing the safety and effectiveness of the administration of cord blood stem cells to children aged six weeks to 18 months suffering from postpartum sensorineural hearing loss. This diagnosis, made by about 6 out of 1,000 newborns, may be the result of hypoxia, head trauma, infection, administration of large doses of antibiotics or exposure to loud sounds. The only thing doctors can do for such patients today is to suggest that they use a hearing aid or a cochlear implant.
The one-year study will involve 10 patients whose umbilical cord blood is placed by prudent parents in the Cord Blood Registry, which is a private institution that finances its conduct. One of the patients has already been found and has begun his journey to recovery.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Medical Xpress: US begins stem cell trial for hearing loss.
10.02.2012