Finding which common infection and anti-inflammatory medicines can harm hearing
Official title: Determining the ototoxic potential of anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory therapeutics using machine learning and in vivo approaches
Funded at Creighton University · NIH-11091459 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for which antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs might cause hearing loss in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Creighton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | June 7, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $382,394 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC020701-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11091459 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be adults (21+) who have taken or are taking antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medicines, especially those who noticed hearing changes or are willing to provide medical records or hearing test results.
✕Less likely to help
Children under 21 and people who have never used the drug classes studied or whose hearing loss is clearly due to other causes may not directly benefit from participation.
What this research studies
From my point of view, the team will use computer learning tools to analyze existing drug and clinical data to flag medicines that could damage hearing. Promising drug candidates will then be tested in lab-based in vivo models to confirm effects on hearing function. The focus is on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines often used by adults, with an emphasis on rapid, low-cost screening instead of relying on patient case reports. The goal is to identify risky drugs early so safer treatments can be promoted.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce the number of people who develop permanent hearing loss from commonly used infection and anti-inflammatory medicines by identifying risky drugs earlier.
How similar studies have gone: Some antibiotics (for example aminoglycosides) are already known to cause hearing loss, but using machine learning across many drugs and pairing it with in vivo confirmation is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Creighton University
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Coffin, Allison B — Creighton University
- Study coordinator: Coffin, Allison B
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.