Say that again? New study suggests hearing loss may be reversible

By Parker Hall July 20, 2016

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Human hearing loss is among the most concerning issues facing the earbud generation as it makes the slow march to middle age. But a recent study and forthcoming clinical trials from a Dutch company called Audion Therapeutics look to help solve the slow degeneration facing our ears once and for all, according to a new article published in The Atlantic.

The biggest hope is that humans, with the help of a new drug, will be able to regrow sensory hair cells — something which animals like fish and birds already have the capability of doing.

Right now, the tiny human hairs which are responsible for human hearing don’t regenerate once they have been damaged, and over a third of seniors suffer from some form of hearing loss because of it. There is currently no way to recover that hearing separate from the purchase of a hearing aid.

The key to restoring hearing, according to Dr. Albert Edge, who works for Audion Therapeutics, is a “notch inhibitor” molecule, which Audion’s research has shown gives rise to new hair cells in lab cultures. Researchers hope that eventually a successful drug based on this molecule could be developed that would be applied to the middle ear via a foam or tube, and once-damaged hair would then naturally grow back, restoring lost hearing.

The idea for the potential treatment came from a report on the side effects of drug tests involving the same molecule in dementia treatment. “We thought, ‘These side effects in an Alzheimer’s patient are exactly what we’re looking for in treating deafness,” said Edge. “So we decided to try that idea out in these mice.”

So far, the results are promising; When the drug-regenerated hair cells were placed inside animals’ cochlea, the animals became better able to detect sound frequencies which correlated to their placement.

Complete development of the new drug could take years or even decades, but the research is promising. Who knows, maybe by the time the first iPod generation starts collecting Social Security, the world might be able to listen to ear-shattering music without fear.

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The wildest 5G conspiracy theories explained — and debunked

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What is 5G? It will take some time before it truly impacts our lives, but the next-gen mobile network is here whether people are ready for it or not. Carriers have deployed their nationwide 5G network coverage, and are in the middle of expanding the rollout. But, as with many major breakthroughs, the new cellular technology has spawned a set of conspiracy theories, including everything ranging from the idea that 5G can cause cancer to the claim that it causes the coronavirus.

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Before diving into 5G conspiracy theories, it's important to note that 5G refers to a number of different 5G technologies. For starters, 5G, which is technically just the 5th-generation of wireless technology, can span a range of frequencies. There are low-band radio frequencies, which offer a relatively slow internet connection but can travel longer distances. At the other end of the spectrum, there are high-band frequencies, or millimeter-wave frequencies. Connections on mmWave are much faster, but they struggle to get through obstacles and can't travel long distances. Midband frequencies, as you would expect, offer medium-speed connections at medium distances.
Did 5G cause the coronavirus pandemic?
One theory that has been relatively prominent over the past year or so is that 5G could be the cause of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the theory, both the rollout of 5G and the first cases of the coronavirus happened around the same time in late 2019.