Stem Cell experiments moving from lab on to animals

Dr Rivolta and team in University of Sheffield is the 1st in the world to be able to create human ear hair cells. They did it in the lab.

Seem they are moving from lab to animal testing. This means they might have invented an instrument which can transplant the hair cells from the lab into the inner ear. This is nothing but good news.

See below :

http://www.rnid.org.uk/howwehelp/research_and_technology/rnid_research_grants/projects/projects/restoring/transplantation.htm

China PLA Hospital also researching on Atoh1 gene therapy

I found this link. The beauty of it, is not so much the message that Atoh1/Math1 can only repair damaged ear cells within 10 days of damage but the revelation inside the text that China PLA General Hospital in the Chinese Capital is into gene therapy using Atoh1 as well. Seem it is also collaborating with US scientists.

With the more liberal testing and trial methods at China, we can be pretty certain that if there is going to be any human trial using Atoh1, it would first start in China and we will not need to wait for long.

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/news/releases/10/02_04_10.htm

Micromanipulator developed to deliver stem cell

Someone shared the following links which said the micromanipulator tool can deliver stem cells into the inner ear in the future

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-03/ef-cdt031210.php


video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcTUsgIdlAI&feature=related

Picture of the device:

http://www.basqueresearch.com/upload/txostenak/2599_MicromanipuladorOidoInterno.pdf


They brighten my otherwise dull day today; I am today feeling (I feel it from time to time and not always) a bit imbalance on my right side because my left ear's balancing mechanism has probably been knocked out by virus, mini-stroke or whatever which took out my hearing and caused T too!

Genvec CEO shared in Feb 2010 that Atoh1 can restore all hearing freq

See :

http://www.investorvillage.com/smbd.asp?mb=1195&mn=6078&pt=msg&mid=8582724

It is a very wonderful report. For eg, it tells us that Atoh1 is unlikely to cause cancer (1 of the major worries for this novel gene therapy using Atoh1 to restore hearing). On the contrary, it suppress cancer !

MIT is developing inner ear drug delivery device

Harvard Medical School and MIT seem to be developing a inner ear drug delivery device. See link below.

I surmise from the materials that they must have some sort of effective drug up their sleeve already. It is some sort of solid dry drug, that need to be continuously delivered (controlled by a microprocessor) over years into the inner ear to be effective, something to do with the Atoh1 gene which Genvec is partnering Novartis to co-develop with a war chest of over US$200 million.

And it follows from the above (eg that it need to be continuously delivered over years)that it is not only for repairing damaged hair cells in 10-days old patients only (see my other report or 2nd link below) :

http://www.usher-syndrome.org/index.cfm?pk=download&id=10711&pid=10258

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527494.800-ten-days-to-save-hearing-after-deafening-sound.html

Atoh1 repairs hair cell damaged up to 10-days ie for 10-days old patients

This report says Atoh1 repairs 10-days old patients' hair cells.

One may then ask whether it is the end of the hope that Atoh1 (which in Jan 2010 Genvec is reportedly co-developing with pharma giant Novartis with a war chest of over US$200 million) can cure deafness which has occurred for some time.

I think not.

For one, the same report seems to suggest it is an additional function for Atoh1, on top of regenerative qualities.

Here is the link :

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527494.800-ten-days-to-save-hearing-after-deafening-sound.html


Also I found these materials from some good soul that Harvard Medical School and MIT seem to be developing an inner ear drug delivery device. See link below.

I surmise from the materials that they must have some sort of effective drug up their sleeve already. It is some sort of solid dry drug, that need to be continuously delivered (controlled by a microprocessor) over years into the inner ear to be effective, something to do with the Atoh1 gene which Genvec is partnering Novartis to co-develop with a war chest of over US$200 million.

And it follows from the above (eg that it need to be continuously delivered over years)that Atoh1 is not only good for repairing damaged hair cells in 10-days old patients only :

http://www.usher-syndrome.org/index.cfm?pk=download&id=10711&pid=10258