Since its inception, the NOHR Foundation has provided over $8.5 million for more than 460 separate research grants. In 2008, we are funding 26 different projects. Ultimately, discoveries about auditory function will lead to strategies to treat, prevent or cure hearing loss, deafness and related disorders.

TWO-YEAR INNER EAR HAIR CELL REGENERATION RESEARCH INITIATIVE GRANT
The NOHR Foundation is providing one investigation $100,000 in 2008 for the first year of a two-year $200,000 inner ear hair cell regeneration program. This grant is supporting the following:

Bioinformatics investigation to define and characterize the molecular and cellular interactions occurring during hair cell regeneration in zebrafish with the long-term goal of activating these pathways in mammals (Tatjana Piotrowski, Ph.D. & Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado, Ph.D., University of Utah School of Medicine)

MULTI-YEAR INNER EAR HAIR CELL REGENERATION RESEARCH INITIATIVE GRANTS
The NOHR Foundation provided a total of $2.5 million to two investigations for five years (2001-2005) for hair cell regeneration programs; and provided one program a total of $300,000 for a three-year (2001-2003) inner ear hair cell regeneration project.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

FIVE YEAR PROGRAM
Neil Segil, Ph.D. and Andrew Groves, Ph.D. House Ear Institute, Los Angeles

Studying embryonic and postnatal mice, they have discovered

auditory supporting cells from newborns can spontaneously change into hair cells under culture conditions

a gene called p27Kip1 blocks this process in the inner ear

in mutant mice lacking p27Kip1, cells were able
to divide and make hair cells

Michael Lovett, Ph.D. and Mark Warchol, Ph.D. ,
Washington University, St. Louis

In microarray studies of cochlear and vestibular avian ear genes,

specific genes that are switched on and off during
the process of inner ear hair cell regeneration after damage have been discovered

new genomic techniques to shut down/off genes
and investigate subsequent changes in other genes and in the regeneration process were developed

genetic components of regeneration in balance
structures have been revealed

THREE YEAR PROGRAM

Douglas A. Cotanche, Ph.D. Children’s Hospital, Boston

Developed embryonic mammalian cochlear cultures to serve as neural stem cell transplant recipients

Discovered neural stem cells transplanted into cochlear cultures do differentiate into cochlear cells

ONE-YEAR SEED MONEY GRANTS
The Seed Money Program is the NOHR Foundation’s primary focus, making funds available for scientists to pursue new ideas and directions in their research.

Seed Money grants of $20,000 each are awarded on an annual basis, after a competitive application and peer review process. By sponsoring projects on a wide range of topics in auditory anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, hereditary hearing loss, molecular biology, pathology, physiology, and psycho-acoustics, the NOHR Foundation continues to be in the forefront of auditory science.

We continue to encourage research into the regeneration of inner ear hair cells (which change sound energy into electrical signals interpreted by the brain), for discoveries in this area could help 80% of hearing-impaired people.

Seed Money Grants awarded by the NOHR Foundation for 2008 are supporting the following:

Study of two genes that regulate the development, survival and differentiation of inner ear hair cells, relevant to potential development of new drug therapy for congenital deafness (Karen B. Avraham, Ph.D., Tel Aviv University [Israel]

Brain imaging study of how neural activity reflecting the processing of a particular speech stimulus varies as a function of its acoustic context (Lori L. Holt, Ph.D., Carnegie MellonUniversity)

Investigation of different mechanical forces associated with inner ear hair cell death from acoustic trauma, relative to understanding and preventing noise-induced hearing loss (Bo Hua Hu, M.D., Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo)

Study in animal model to quantify interactive relationship between a cochlear-implant’s “channels” (electrodes) and responses of the stimulated auditory nerve fibers, relative to customized fitting of cochlear implants in individuals (Ning Hu, M.D., Ph.D.,University of Iowa)

Study in embryonic chick to determine whether inner ear hair cells generated in vitro have potential to encode sounds as electric signals conducted in a neural circuit to the brain (Zhengqing Hu, M.D., Ph.D., University of Virginia)

Genetic inner ear study of the role of thetranscription factor GATA3 in embryonicdevelopment of auditory neurons, relevant to hair cell regeneration (Jennifer M. Jones, Ph.D.,Washington University in St. Louis)

Genetic study of proteins that may affect regeneration of damaged spiral ganglion neurons and promote their interfacing with a cochlear implant, relative to implantees’ speech comprehension and ability to
appreciate music (Richard Kollmar, Ph.D., University of Illinois/Beckman Institute)

Study measuring speech recognition despite background noise by cochlear-implant recipients who have residual low-frequency hearing in opposite ear, relative to improving hearing aids and cochlear implants (Ying-Yee Kong, Ph.D., Northeastern University)

Examination of how the auditory pathway to the brain from the cochlear nucleus is affected by
damage to inner ear hair cells (Suzanne Kraus, Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo)

Presbycusis and noise-induced hearing loss-related genetic study of how chemical (oxidative) changes in auditory enzymes affect hearing (Yan Li, Ph.D., New York University)

Genetic investigation of causative role of the protein “Id1,” induced by infection, in the development of a cholesteatoma, a destructive growth of skin on
middle ear bones, resulting in conductive hearing loss (Jizhen Lin, M.D., University of Minnesota)

Investigation in zebrafish of role of the “Espin” family of proteins in embryonic development of inner ear auditory and vestibular systems, relative to gene-based treatments for hearing loss (Patricia A. Loomis, Ph.D., Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School)

Microarray study of how spiral ganglion neurons of the inner ear establish neurological connections with the hair cells and the auditory area of the brain (Cindy Lu, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School)

Physiological study to determine the role in
equilibrium of two different types of vestibular hair cells (Anna Lysakowski, Ph.D., University of Illinois)

Study of how different frequencies of sound information are processed to better understand variations in hearing performance by cochlear implant users (Donna L. Neff, Ph.D., Boys Town National Research Hospital)

Study of effects of conductive hearing deprivation on auditory areas of brain and development of method to restore binaural processing capability (Daniel B. Polley, Ph.D.,Vanderbilt University Medical Center)

Experimental development of innovative genetic treatment to prevent hearing loss from cisplatin (used to treat cancer) without affecting the drug’s therapeutic efficacy (Vickram Ramkumar, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University)

Study of how spiral ganglion neurons of inner ear convey sound information to the brain via specific chemical substances and processes, relevant to cochlear implants and potential therapies with
regenerated or transplanted inner hair cells (Pamela C. Roehm, M.D., Ph.D., New York University)

Investigation of voltage-related function of cisternae, components of outer hair cells, and whether high
frequency hearing loss results from damage to them from salicylates. (Lei Song, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University)

Study of whether noise exposure increases susceptibility to hearing loss as a side effect of antibiotics through novel interactive mechanisms in outer hair cells (Ruben Stepanyan, Ph.D., University of Kentucky)

Creation of animal model of chronic conductive
hearing loss to study the disorder’s effect on auditory functions, such as sound localization and speech
perception, in noisy environments (Daniel J. Tollin, Ph.D., University of Colorado Denver)

Development of animal model for prelingual deafness to assess its degenerative impact on auditory brainstem, relative to whether cochlear implantation (in one or both ears) can restore sensitivity to sounds (Maike Vollmer, M.D., Ph.D., University of Wuerzberg
[Germany])

Investigation of whether hypothyroidism predisposes individuals to premature age-related hearing loss from noise, as a result of abnormal structure of outer hair cells (Edward J. Walsh, Ph.D., Boys Town National
Research Hospital)

Genetic study to determine whether malfunction of the protein otoferlin interferes with normal cochlear activity and leads to auditory neuropathy from loss of hair cells (Paul Webster, Ph.D., House Ear Institute)

Project to reduce risk for hearing loss to newborns from noise in intensive care unit (ICU) incubators (Xun Yu, Ph.D., University of Minnesota)