Protecting hearing during cisplatin cancer treatment
Hearing Protection in Cisplatin Chemotherapy
This project tests whether honokiol, a natural compound, can protect hearing in people receiving cisplatin chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11260143 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Cisplatin chemotherapy can cause hearing loss by producing reactive oxygen species that damage the inner ear, and this project focuses on honokiol, a compound that may both protect normal cells and enhance cisplatin's cancer effects. The team will study how honokiol activates sirtuin proteins, a family of regulators that help detoxify reactive oxygen species, and determine which sirtuins are key for protection. Laboratory and animal experiments will measure cochlear cell survival and hearing function using audiograms and auditory brainstem responses, while also checking that honokiol does not interfere with cisplatin’s tumor-killing activity. If results are promising, the work aims to support future clinical trials in patients receiving cisplatin.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy who are worried about or at risk for hearing loss would be the most likely candidates for related clinical trials.
Not a fit: People not treated with cisplatin, those with already severe irreversible hearing loss, or those with medical reasons that make honokiol unsafe may not receive benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a way to prevent hearing loss in people treated with cisplatin without reducing the drug's cancer-fighting effect.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies, including the investigators’ published work, have shown honokiol can protect the ear in lab and animal models, but no approved human treatments exist yet.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tan, Xiaodong — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Tan, Xiaodong
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 below.