Mr Microbiology very informative piece on Gene Therapy

I came across a Mr Microbiology's (a Microbiologist who hails from New Zealan) posts which are very good :

"
I have been in contact with someone that is involved in restoration of hearing research.I recieved and email in reply and it sounds like they are in the final stages of planning an application with the FDA for clinical trails.This means hearing restoration is becoming more of a reality every day.
Mr Microbiology
16 Feb 2010 00:13
Who are they? what's the treatment? what company? what country? etc.
Cas
16 Feb 2010 00:46
Didn't mean to sound like I was barking orders to answer my questions there, just keen to know more please.
Cas
16 Feb 2010 00:51
I would like to enter more details but it would be unfair to the person I have talked to by saying who they are and who they work for.They are very high up in the ranks of their research.They probably dont want to be flooded with emails.Lets just say the company which is doing the research is working at regeneration of hair cells in the cochlear.The main thing is that it is happening and its not just dream anymore but a reality.I feel lucky to be in a time where this is possible.
Mr Microbiology
16 Feb 2010 02:41
Much thanks.As some one said, the time to hear is now !
wongtanlim3 at yahoo.com
16 Feb 2010 02:55
mr micro you never dissapoint with you posts regarding news. Thanks for relaying this info.
dan
16 Feb 2010 03:57
I have had a few ports so here goes.I have been lucky to have been born in a time where this technology has become reality.Somehow I have made it through the worst part of the damage my hearing had to antibiotic therapy.The tinnitus at the start was immense.It is not so bad now.The future is now for every one.Im going to have another port and have a little peace.Peace to everyone !!!
Mr Microbiology
16 Feb 2010 05:49
So, did he give you any kind of time span?Thanks,Nate
16 Feb 2010 17:15
A couple of things he did say ,is that he thinks they will be moving into the clinic soon and that the final stages of planning for a FDA submission are underway.That was about as specific as he got on the time span but it sounded good to me.
Mr Microbiology
17 Feb 2010 03:10
I am hoping there is no window period like 1-week or 10-days for the treatment to work!
wongtanlim3 at yahoo.com
17 Feb 2010 04:12
I think that this story is not true. If somebody was really going to clinical trials then they certainly would not keep it top secret. It would have been in the news...like ReNeuron, Geron and all the others involved in regenerative medicine.
17 Feb 2010 13:09
Mr M,Could I have your thoughts on LipoFlavonoid?. It's been sold over 30 years in the US for T.I still take Lipoflavonoid every day. Its:3 capsultes= Vit C, 300 mg, Vit B1. 1 mg, Vit B2. 3 mg. Niacin. 10 mg, Vit B5. 1 mg, V B12. 5 mg, Calcium Panthotenate, 5mg, Dicalcium Phosphate 87 mg, Choline, 334 mg, Bioflavonoids: 600 mg, Inositol, 334 mg
Philippa
17 Feb 2010 15:17
To the poster ( I think that this story is untrue ).For a start it is not a story.Why would I post such things about this if it were unture.To get plessure from getting peoples hopes up ?That would make no sense especially when I suffer just the same id be fooling myself.Please take another look at my posts.I have never said anyone is going to be in a clinical trail but that I was told that the final stages of planning for a FDA submission were being completed and that he thinks the technology will be moving into the clinic soon.That means the FDA still has to approve the trial which I hope they do when they get the application.Also I never said it was top secret.Out of total respect for the person that gave me this information I did not want to say who they were or who thay work for.This is to prevent him being flooded with emails by people wanting to know if its true.Im sure you can understand that.Im sure when the FDA submission is filed the presswill be all over it.Last thing said ,it is totally true all I have said !!!
Mr Microbiology
17 Feb 2010 21:19
Apologies Mr Microbiology. I should have read your first post more carefully and you make some good points in your last post.Thank you for passing on your information.
17 Feb 2010 21:37
Apologies Mr Microbiology. I should have read your first post more carefully and you make some good points in your last post.Thank you for passing on your information.
17 Feb 2010 21:46
Mr. M,Could you at least tell us in what form it is in...stem cell, regeneration, surgical......?Thanks,Nate
17 Feb 2010 21:55
To ( I think this story is untrue ).No worries you do not need to apologise.I know how everyone wants to know more , I am the same I want to know more about it to.To ( Nate ).The form will be in adenovector technology.A harmless or non pathogenic virus is used to transport a regenerative gene to inner ear cells so they can differentiate into hair cells.
Mr Microbiology
17 Feb 2010 22:21
Phillipa ,I think what you have is a good multivitamin tablet with some bioflavonoids in the mix.The vitamins are good to preserve inner ear function but for tinnitus im not sure if they would make much of a difference.The Bioflavonoids are good at thinning the blood and so increase circulation to the inner ear.This may improve hearing slightly and by doing so reduce T.Be careful when taking any other blood thinning medication ,you dont want blood to be thinned to much.Maybe Magnesium will be useful daily as it can have a antagonistic effect on NMDA receptors in the brain.Slows down overactivity.The NMDA receptor seem to have a role in tinnitus.
Mr Microbiology
17 Feb 2010 22:30
Hi Mr MicrobiologyPlease excuse my ignorance but Id be very grateful if you would be able to shed some light on a few questions I have.1) Do you know if there is any evidence that the stem cells that reside in the inner ear are able to differentiate into hair cells that respond across the entire frequency range of human hearing? I have high frequency (>6kHz) losses. This is why I ask.2) Why can the gene not be directly (locally) administered into the ear by intratympanic injection?Many thanks.
S.D
18 Feb 2010 12:07
Thanks Mr M. I swear taking the LipoFlavonoid is helping to reduce the noise. Funnily enough, the 'prophet' and seer Edgar Cayce said T was down to poor circulation in the ears ,and he recommended craniosacral therapy and steam baths, and I have indeed found both helpful.How much Magnesium do you think I should take?And I really appreciate you keeping us up to date with the cell stem info and answering our questions about it.
Philippa
18 Feb 2010 14:45
Very interesting stuff, thanks for posting. I recently attended a seminar at the Royal National Throat Nose & Ear Hospital in London and there making breakthroughs there aswell. I'd be interested to see what there doing, at this point in time implanting cells directly into the cochlea is very difficult because of scar tissue. In response to Mr. M, i don't know if stem cells would have the desired effect your thinking of. I'm not sure if they would differentiate, however even if they did they could not implant themselves into the organ of corti (sensory part of the inner ear). Even if this were possible or done manually by surgery there is still the problem of tonotopy. When cells die inside the cochlea the associated nerves move away and attach to other fuctional hair cells near by. If a new hair cell were to be implanted there is no way of knowing wether the correct nerve fibers would reassociate (if at all). In other words if a cell were to be implanted in a 6235kHz section, nerve fibers from 6500kHz or even higher may associate, causing problems.
Student Audiologist
18 Feb 2010 19:53
What if you have No Cochlear ? just a question
pompeyfc
18 Feb 2010 22:14
To (S.D.).A scientist named Stefan Heller had discovered a small amount of stem cells that reside in the ear cochlear these are pluripotent adult stem cells and they have the latent potential for regeneration of cochlear tissue.Everyone has adult stem cells in the body that regenerate different organs and they often deplete with age.The problem with inner ear stem cells is they have lost there ability to regenerate the inner ear.They need to be switched on for this.This is a completely different avenue of research than gene therapy or by another method of delivering stem cells for therapeutic effect (Dr Marcelo Rivolta).Gene therapy is a method of inducing hair cells in the Cochlear from support cells & hopefully epithelium cells.Current research from what I have researched is that the frequency range of recovery is linear or across the range of frequencies to a degree and correlating to damage and incomplete.So not quite normal hearing in animal models tested.The therapy could fix 6khz to a degree if it is successful I would think.It is being developed with a adenovector virus that is specific to certain cells the ones needing to be repaired.This is the challenging part ,to get the virus to transfer the regenerative gene to the correct cells.The therapy (adenovector virus) I would imagine will be delivered directly to the cochlear by intratympanic injection.This method is most important to prevent systemic or whole body exposure to the virus (cochlear is well quite isolated from the rest of body) , so to prevent a growth gene being delivered to other parts of the body.Advancements are being made in this method so that fragile cochlear cells are not damaged when injection is performed (injection techniques / smaller volumes of med / more efficient adenovectorparticles or virus ).Hope thats of help.
Mr Microbiology
19 Feb 2010 05:00
To (Philipa) , I take 600mg Magnesium Chelate a day.Easily absorbed by the body.Bioavailabilty.Provides about 100mg elemental magnesium.Cheers.
Mr Microbiology
19 Feb 2010 05:10
To (student audiologist).The method of cochlear repair you have specified (stem cell) is different to the method I am referring to in this thread.Stem cells I agree would have a difficult time intergrating in scar tissue or the flat epithelium of the cochlear (when the support cells have degraded).The method im referring to regards a gene being implemented into cells of the cochear via virus adenovector to induce hair cell differiation.There has been research to show that nerve fibres will move towards a new functional hair / support cell when it has been regenerated.This shows that a chemical signal from the newly formed cells seems to attract nerve fibres.As to frequency and brain response to that frequency.From what I have researched ,somehow the brain reconfigurates and this is shown in animal models with this therapy.Cheers.
Mr Microbiology
19 Feb 2010 05:40
hi Mr MicrobiologyI came across some writing that suggest the US is collaborating with a hospital in China Beijing using Math1/Atoh1 for treatment of hearing loss. It is in the research stage.While this is good news , with US and China now jointly researching into gene therapy, however they seem to suggest there is a limited window period of 10 days. Did your source said their coming treatrment has such a limited period ?See :http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/news/releases/10/02_04_10.htm (external link, opens new browser window)
wongtanlim3 at yahoo.com
19 Feb 2010 07:01
Hi (pompeyfc)No cochlear means this therapy would not work.They would need to regrow one and that is a part of the future.It will take a little longer than replacing hair cells but one day ! Scientists are trying to grow human organs from stem cells now so it is not fantasy that a cochlear could possibly be created in the same way.Then you need a good surgeon to transplant it in.Hi wongtamlim.The article you have metioned is for research for the damage done to hair cells causing them to lose their stereocilia (hairs) and come close to cell death ( Apoptosis ).The math1 gene invigorates the hair cells and causes them to grow back their stereocilia so long as the problem is isolated only to loss of hair cells.The research im referring to causes support / ( epithelium ? ) cells in the cochlear to differentiate into hair cells to replace hair cells gone (Gene Therapy)The research sounds like improvements so far are best with vestibular (balance) systems ,the hair cells in this area seem to be more easily replaced.Im sorry I cannot tell you much more.I would like to get more information if at all possible.I will try sometime soon.Cheers.
Mr Microbiology
19 Feb 2010 09:07
Correction to above Post.Think I will proof read my posts from now on anyway =Hi wongtamlim.The article you have metioned is for research for the damage done to hair cells causing them to lose their stereocilia (hairs) and come close to cell death ( Apoptosis ).The math1 gene invigorates the hair cells and causes them to grow back their stereocilia and prevents them from hair cell death.
Mr Microbiology
19 Feb 2010 09:21
hi Mr MicrobiologyMuch thanks for the reply.
wongtanlim3 at yahoo.com
19 Feb 2010 11:39
HelloSo if i can make a conclusion there is no talking about a window period? So tinnitus sufferers having tinnitus "due to haircell death" for 1year, 10years, 20years,.. would be able to receive the treatment? Im sorry if u answered this before but my english is not that well and it was hard for me to subtract this information from the above written. Regards and thankyou for keepin us updated about this intresting mather!
19 Feb 2010 13:50
Thanks Mr M for info about Magnesium Chelate.. What other supplements are you taking, and do you think it helps your T?
Philippa
19 Feb 2010 14:37
Thanks Mr. Microbiology. Much appreciated. Btw have you seen Stefan Heller's YouTube video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZPClxxLGmE (external link, opens new browser window)I expect you know all this already, but it's a nice presentation nonetheless.
S.D
19 Feb 2010 14:47
I could not be 100% sure whether what they are planning for in a FDA submission is for long term hearing loss or short term.The research is aimed at a market where people already have hearing loss so I would imagine that the technology he was talking about is for long termers. .
Mr Microbiology
19 Feb 2010 23:15
I dont think there is a window period as the research is aimed at the a market where hearing loss has already occurred.
Mr Microbiology
20 Feb 2010 00:38"