Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
Molecular structure and liquids used in research labs
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  6. Oligonucleotide Protection and Treatment of Hearing Loss

Oligonucleotide Protection and Treatment of Hearing Loss

Description

Currently, there are no widely acceptable medications to prevent hearing loss or increase the ability of the ear to recover from injury. This technology employs a tandem sequence of oligonucleotides (called t-oligo) with homology to mammalian telomere chromosome sequence to prevent hearing loss from noise injury. The basis for this auditory protection is related to protective DNA repair enzymes that respond in the presence of t-oligo. T-oligo are strings of DNA with the sequence TTAGGG and are known to increase DNA repair capacity that protects cells from injury by increasing their capacity to repair themselves. However, this oligonucleotide has not been used to protect hearing, and this invention provides a novel use of t-oligo to preserve hearing following noise injury.

Additional information

Patent number and inventor

9,457,009 and 10,124,062

O’neil Guthrie

Potential applications

Hearing loss and protection against noise trauma.

Benefits and advantages

This technology focuses on DNA repair associated with the regeneration of cochlear function after injury and suggests that inducible DNA repair enzymes exist in the mammalian cochlea, and that these enzymes could be therapeutically optimized.

Case number and licensing status

2015-021

This invention is licensed, with a potential interest in partnerships.