Plant-based treatments to protect hearing from certain antibiotics
Official title: Natural-based therapies for sensory disorders
Funded at Creighton University · NIH-11321726 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests natural compounds to protect people’s hearing from damage caused by aminoglycoside antibiotics.
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 | April 15, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $615,118 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC021954-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321726 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who need or may receive aminoglycoside antibiotics for serious infections and are concerned about losing their hearing would be the main beneficiaries.
✕Less likely to help
People whose hearing loss is from other causes (not aminoglycoside-related) or who already have irreversible, advanced hearing loss are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are using small zebrafish and mouse models to find plant-derived molecules that keep inner ear sensory cells alive during antibiotic treatment. They identified piperlongumine from long pepper as a promising molecule and will make and test improved chemical versions that better fit an ear protein called TRPV1. The team will study how these compounds distribute in the body, their safety, and whether they preserve hearing-related cells and their connections. Successful candidates would then be prepared for future steps toward human testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a drug that prevents permanent hearing loss caused by aminoglycoside antibiotics.
How similar studies have gone: Related antioxidant and protective compounds have shown some promise in preclinical work but no approved drug exists yet; early animal data for piperlongumine are encouraging but still preclinical.
Where this research is happening
-
Creighton University
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zallocchi, Marisa L. — Creighton University
- Study coordinator: Zallocchi, Marisa L.
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.