Objective measurements of cochlear health using a cochlear implant: towards a biological therapy for hearing loss

世界卫生组织报告称，耳聋是导致多年来残疾的第二大原因。世界上有5亿人患有致残性听力损失，导致巨大的个人、社会和经济困难。目前治疗听力损失的标准是听力设备，包括助听器和人工耳蜗。然而，这些设备并没有解决根本的问题：内耳的损害。目前，还没有针对听力损失的治疗方法。Rinri治疗公司正在开发一种新的治疗方法--Rincell-1，这是一种细胞疗法，有可能取代内耳中死亡或受损的神经细胞，恢复听力。为了进行临床试验，Rinri需要开发这种治疗的安全性和有效性的措施。有人提议，Rincell-1的首个人体试验将与人工耳蜗(目前不再受益于助听器的聋人的治疗方法)相结合，因为这些植入物具有远程监测内耳健康的能力，因此可以在临床试验中评估治疗的安全性和有效性。Rinri一直在与诺丁汉大学听力研究的全球领先者合作，开发必要的测量工具和手术技术，以进行Rincell-1的临床试验。我们请求提供资金，将在诺丁汉大学工作的听力学专家和临床合格科学家Faizah Mushtaq博士借调到Rinri，以管理和加快这些工具和技术的开发和交付。事实证明，这一借调将直接有益于法扎、林里、诺丁汉大学和听力损失科学界。具体地说，Faizah将了解在行业环境中开发临床试验所需的过程。再加上她现有的临床和研究技能，这将为她在听力领域提供几乎独特的技能，可以在未来应用于其他新的听力疗法的开发，这些疗法是解决全球听力损失负担所迫切需要的。同样，Rinri将受益于Faizah在临床和研究环境中监测听力健康方面的广泛知识，以及她对听力科学家和临床医生、听力设备行业以及Rincell-1的S目标人群：听力损失人群的独特理解。最终，这次借调将加强Rinri和诺丁汉大学之间的想法交流，以开发一种革命性的听力损失新疗法。

The World Health Organisation reports deafness as the second leading cause of years lived with disability. Half a billion people in the world have disabling hearing loss resulting in enormous personal, social and economic hardship. The current standard of care for hearing loss are hearing devices, including hearing aids and cochlear implants. However, these devices do not address the underlying problem: damage to the inner ear. Currently, no treatments for hearing loss exist. Rinri Therapeutics is developing a new treatment, 'Rincell-1', a cell therapy with the potential to replace dead or damaged nerve cells in the inner ear and restore hearing. In order to conduct clinical trials, Rinri needs to develop measures of safety and effectiveness of this treatment. It is proposed that the first-in-human trials of Rincell-1 will be in combination with a cochlear implant (the current treatment for deaf people who no longer benefit from a hearing aid) as these implants have the capacity to remotely monitor inner ear health and, therefore, to assess the safety and effectiveness of a therapy in a clinical trial.Rinri have been working with global leaders in hearing research based at the University of Nottingham to develop the necessary measurement tools and surgical techniques to conduct a clinical trial of Rincell-1\. We request funds for the secondment of Dr. Faizah Mushtaq, an audiologist and clinically qualified scientist working at the University of Nottingham, to Rinri, in order to manage and accelerate the development and delivery of these tools and techniques. This secondment will prove directly beneficial to Faizah, Rinri, the University of Nottingham and the hearing loss scientific community. Specifically, Faizah will learn about the processes necessary to develop a clinical trial within an industry setting. Along with her existing clinical and research skills, this will provide her with an almost unique skillset in the hearing field that could be applied to the development of other novel hearing therapies in the future, which are desperately needed to address the global burden of hearing loss. Likewise, Rinri will gain from Faizah's extensive knowledge of monitoring hearing health in clinical and research settings, along with her unique understanding of hearing scientists and clinicians, the hearing device industry, and Rincell-1's target population: people with hearing loss. Ultimately, this secondment will enhance the exchange of ideas between Rinri and the University of Nottingham towards the development of a revolutionary new treatment for hearing loss.