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