Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels grow toward tumors to promote new growth. When tumors grow beyond about 1-2 mm, they require additional oxygen and nutrients. They send chemical signals to the body to promote new blood vessels to supply the tumor, allowing them  to grow and eventually to metastasize, spreading cancer throughout the body. Efforts to reduce or eliminate angiogenesis have become one of the most promising and exciting areas in cancer therapy. If angiogenesis can be stopped, tumors will whither and die.

New research has shown that extracts of Ginkgo biloba are powerful antagonists to angiogenesis. A research paper published in Fundamentals of Clinical Pharmacology found that exposure of human breast cancer cells to Ginkgo extract inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells. Likewise with exposure of human bladder cancer cells exposed to the same Ginkgo extract.

A Boston-based team led by Dr. Bin Ye and Dr. Daniel Cramer at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that women who took Ginkgo supplements for six months or longer had a 60% lower risk  for ovarian cancer.

Research is ongoing and more is needed to precisely define how effective Ginkgo biloba will be in the search for cancer therapies. In the meantime, those people with tinnitus using Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula, including pharmaceutical-grade Ginkgo biloba extract, will benefit from the anti-angiogenesis properties of Ginkgo biloba.

Ginkgo biloba has many other healthful properties such as acting as an antioxidant, blood vessel health, reducing atherosclerosis, brain health and anti-depressant activity.

Look for a more detailed discussion of the anti-cancer properties of Ginkgo biloba in a future article in our newsletter, Quiet Times.

Barry Keate

Hearing loss caused by damage to the delicate hair cells of the inner ear (usually by loud noise) has been believed to be incurable. But now a team of scientists at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) are using gene therapy to grow functioning inner ear cells in mice embryos in the womb.

Gene therapy involves inserting a functional form of a gene called Atoh1 into the inner ear of unborn mice. The procedure showed that these animals ended up with more hair cells than normal. More importantly, the cells that had Atoh1 functioned in the same way as normal hair cells.

The work by OHSU and their exciting results has roots in similar scientific breakthroughs by other researchers at the University of Michigan who used gene therapy to generate hair cells in adult guinea pigs.

In other arenas, progress is being made in developing stem cell treatments for hearing loss. By injecting bone marrow stem cells into the inner ear of rats with damaged hearing, researchers found that they recovered more rapidly. You can read an article on stem cell research in mice in our Tinnitus Library.

Despite the encouraging news a functional procedure for humans is a long way off. There remain a range of obstacles to surmount before people with hearing problems see benefits from gene therapy treatment, such as how to deliver the hair cell genes into human ears. But as one researcher said, “it is no longer a pipe dream.”

It may just seem like common sense, but a new study confirms that things that are bad for the body tend to  negatively impact a range of human conditions including tinnitus and hearing loss.

A study on hearing loss at the Antwerp University, Belgium, found that smoking and obesity increase the chance of hearing loss, and subsequently tinnitus. Those who smoke or who are overweight are more at risk for hearing loss.

A healthy ear requires large amounts of oxygen and nutrients, which are supplied through the vascular system. The reason smoking and obesity affects hearing is similar to the reasons those factors can affect other organs. In smokers and obese individuals, lack of blood flow to the ears, coupled with failure to remove toxic waste from the ears, can impair hearing. Cardiovascular function is diminished by the stress put on the body by excess weight and/or smoking.

The study supports the idea that whether it is exposure to loud noise or a genetic predisposition to hearing loss, smoking and obesity will increase the odds that it will occur. And if that’s not enough to rethink or maintain a healthy lifestyle, studies also show that hearing loss can result in depression and financial loss!

Brent Curtis – Editor

Sound Pharmaceuticals (SPI) has received FDA notification that it may proceed with its Phase II study to prevent chemotherapy induced hearing loss. The Ph-II study will enroll 80 patients with advanced head and neck, and non-small cell lung cancer at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research at the Veterans Administration Hospital and the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.

Hearing loss due to ototoxic medications such as chemotherapy, antibiotics or loop diuretics often results in permanent and progressive disability. Furthermore, the combined use of these ototoxic agents is contraindicated, often limiting their clinical utility. Symptoms of ototoxicity include hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, vertigo and difficulty understanding speech.

In several preclinical studies, SPI has showed that its novel chemo-protectant drug product, a small molecule that mimics and induces Glutathione Peroxidase activity was critical in preventing ototoxicity while not interfering with the chemotherapy treatment.

An article on mosquito repellents  published by an English speaking website in Korea, Chosun Ilbo, caught our eye because of a tinnitus-related issue. One of the options discussed used to repel the pesky summertime critters can apparently cause tinnitus.

Electric mats used to keep mosquitoes at bay emit a powerful insecticide (also used in mosquito-aerosols) called pyathroid, which kills the creatures by paralyzing their nervous system. That’s a neat trick except when we learn that they can cause tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, asthma, sneezing, headache,  nausea or in extreme cases coma. Oh and its also rumored to reduce sperm count.

To quote SNL character,  Roseanne Roseannadanna (Gilda Radner), “It just goes to show ya. It’s always somethin’! If it’s not one thing, it’s another!

We couldn’t agree more.

Brent Curtis – Editor

Rock concert goers complaining of ringing in the ears when the show ends may find a solution to the phantom sounds through acupuncture. According to researchers at the University of Michigan (UM), nerves that sense touch in the face and neck might be responsible for the post-concert noises in the head that remain long after the show has ended.

These “touchy” nerves sense the increased activity of the brain when hearing cells are damaged. According to the UM study, “Hyperactivity of these touch-sensing neurons likely plays an important role in tinnitus, often called “ringing in the ears.” While the findings of their research were conducted on animals, the scientists postulate that treatments such as acupuncture targeted on the nerves of the head and neck may provide relief for certain individuals suffering from tinnitus.

In an upcoming issue of Quiet Times Tinnitus Newsletter, tinnitus expert Barry Keate will provide a detailed review of this fascinating new study.

Brent Curtis – Editor

When it comes to hearing in mammals, shape matters. According to a recent study published by the National Institute of Science, there is a direct link between the curvature of the cochlea and its ability to perceive lower frequency hearing limits.

The snail-shaped cochlea located in the inner ear converts sound waves into nerve impulses which are deciphered by the brain. Researchers believe that by understanding this relationship between the shape of the cochlea and its hearing limitations (in mammals) they can estimate what the impact of human activities may have on wild animals (who won’t sit still for a hearing test). The end result could bring greater understanding to how hearing evolved.

The spiral shape of the cochlea is only found in mammals. Those animals with tightly coiled cochleae tend to have greater hearing ranges. Sound enters the ear and strikes the eardrum, which sends vibrations to the fluid of the cochlea. This creates pressure waves that move along a narrowing coiled canal of the cochlea.

According to Darlene Ketten, an assistant professor at Harvard who participated on the study, the curvature of the cochlea and its effect on hearing has long been a controversial subject among scientists. But the new study now provides them with a new theory to better understand the hearing limitations of mammals based on the unique curve of individual cochleae.

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Researchers at the University of Buffalo (UB) are studying to learn if there is a specific area of the brain that is responsible for the sounds associated with tinnitus.

Having studied tinnitus for the past ten years, these scientists will study the brain signals they believe are responsible for creating the phantom sounds of tinnitus. The research uses animal models previously developed at UB. The clinical study is currently being conducted at UB’s Center for Hearing and Deafness under the direction of Richard Salvi, Ph.D.

Dr. Salvi and colleagues found that when the brain’s auditory cortex receives reduced auditory signals from the cochlea (the hearing organ), due to damage or aging, it causes a part of the brain to “turn up the volume,” experience as hissing or ringing. A major goal of the research is to try to identify the neural signature of tinnitus. In other words to find what aberrant pattern of neural activity in the auditory cortex of the brain is associated with the onset of tinnitus.

A study published in The Laryngoscope March of this year by researchers from the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MUHC) showed that certain over-the-counter eardrops for softening earwax can cause severe inflammation and damage to the inner ear and eardrum.

Earwax softeners are used to breakup and disperse excess wax and were created for individuals who complained of discomfort or even deafness from wax buildup blocking their ears.

The research team at MUHC studied the impact of Cerumenex on hearing, overall toxicity in the outer ear and changes in the delicate hair cells of the inner ear in chinchillas. They found harmful effects occurred after only one dose. Based on the well-established animal model which researcher state has a similar hearing mechanism to humans, their finding suggest that Cerumenex has toxic potential and should be used with caution.

While Cerumenex is sold over-the-counter in Canada, it a  prescription is required in the US. The safest course is always to ask your ENT doctor first before using any “over-the-counter” medications that are put directly into your ear.

Hearing health is getting on the government’s radar. Hearing loss and tinnitus are the number one disability experienced by veterans coming out of the Iraq and Afghanistan war. 28 million Americans suffer from some type of hearing loss, and 500,000 to 750,000 Americans have severe to profound hearing impairment or deafness.

Healthy Hearing 2010, part of the NIH’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders is dedicated to helping people improve and protect their hearing health. They have identified eight objectives for reducing the problems caused by hearing loss. The hearing objectives are:

• Increase the number of newborns who get their first hearing test before they’re one month old. Children found to have a hearing loss should get additional testing before they’re three months old, and should be enrolled in rehabilitative services by the time they are six months old.
• Research tells us that babies who are born deaf or hard-of-hearing have a better chance of learning how to use language if the hearing loss is found immediately after they’re born and if they learn a spoken or signed language as early as possible.
• Decrease the number of ear infections in children.
• Ear infections are the number one reason for all doctor and emergency room visits by infants and children. The cost of ear infections to the American public is enormous–roughly $5 billion a year for medical expenses and lost wages. For many children, ear infections tend to occur again and again. When a child has an ear infection, he or she won’t be able to hear clearly, which can interfere with speech and language development.
• Increase the number of deaf or hard-of-hearing people who use rehabilitation services and adaptive devices, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants.
• In today’s world, people must be able to communicate with others as well as understand how to use technology. Technological devices are available now that can help children and adults who are deaf or hard-of-hearing be successful in society and the workplace. In addition, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides technological assistance to deaf and hard-of-hearing infants and older children to help ensure they receive a quality educational experience alongside their hearing peers.
• Increase the number of people who schedule periodic hearing examinations.
• Some forms of hearing loss appear later as a child grows and develops. For this reason, not only should children have their hearing screened at birth, but they should be tested and diagnosed any time a hearing loss is suspected. This is also true for adults. Children also should have their hearing tested before they enter school.
• Increase the number of people who are referred by their doctor for a hearing evaluation and, if needed, treatment.
• The referrals depend on a number of factors, including the type of hearing loss, the age at which hearing loss occurs, the services available in a community, and a family’s preferences.
• Increase the use of ear protection devices and equipment, such as earplugs or earmuffs.
• Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) happens when sensitive parts of the inner ear are damaged from being exposed to harmful sounds. The damage is caused by sounds that are too loud, or by loud sounds that are too close or that are heard over a long period of time. NIHL is 100 percent preventable, but once it happens, the hearing loss is permanent. Earplugs and protective earmuffs will protect your hearing when you are exposed to loud noise. NIHL is one of the most common occupational injuries and the second most self-reported type of occupational illness or injury. Industries that have high numbers of workers exposed to NIHL include agriculture, mining, and construction.
• Reduce the number of children, teenagers, and adults suffering from noise-induced hearing loss (objective 7 and 8 combined).
• About 30 million Americans are exposed to dangerous levels of noise every day and 10 million Americans already have hearing loss from noise. Sounds that can cause damage include a chainsaw (110 decibels, or dB), ambulance siren (120 dB), 12-gauge shotgun (165 dB), hair dryer or gas-powered lawn mower (90 dB), and a rock concert or fire-cracker (140 dB). Regular exposure to 110 dB for more than one minute risks permanent hearing loss. More than 15 minutes of unprotected exposure to 100 dB also is damaging. Prolonged exposure to any noise above 85 dB can cause gradual hearing loss. Healthy People 2010 highlights the efforts of WISE EARS! ® , an NIHL prevention and education campaign led by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disor-ders (NIDCD) in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).