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US 7,741,303 B2Granted
Stimulation of cellular regeneration and differentiation in the inner ear
AssigneeSound Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
InventorsJonathan Kil, Hubert Lowenheim, Rende Gu, Corinne Grigeur
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods for stimulating the formation of inner ear cells, including inner ear sensory hair cells and inner ear support cells. The methods of the present invention damage and/or kill inner ear cells, and stimulate the formation of new, inner ear cells.
Claims22
A method for stimulating the formation of an inner ear sensory hair cell from an inner ear support cell comprising:
- (a) damaging a first inner ear sensory hair cell by contact with an effective amount of a chemical agent;
- and
- (b) locally introducing within at least a portion of the inner ear support cells that are in contact with the damaged first inner ear sensory hair cell a nucleic acid molecule encoding POU4F3, or a POU4F3 transcription factor polypeptide homologue comprising a POU-specific domain having an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% homologous to the POU-specific domain set forth as SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence that is at least 50% homologous to SEQ ID NO:4, and wherein the transcription factor polypeptide is capable of stimulating the formation of an inner ear sensory hair cell.
A method for improving auditory function in an inner ear comprising:
- (a) damaging a first inner ear sensory hair cell by contact with an effective amount of a chemical agent;
- (b) locally introducing within at least a portion of inner ear support cell that are in contact with the first inner ear sensory hair cell a nucleic acid molecule encoding POU4F3 or a POU4F3 transcription factor polypeptide homologue comprising a POU-specific domain having an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% homologous to the POU-specific domain set forth as SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence that is at least 50% homologous to SEQ ID NO:4, and wherein the transcription factor polypeptide is capable of stimulating the formation of an inner ear sensory hair cell;
- and
- (c) measuring an improvement in auditory function in the inner ear treated in accordance with steps (a) and (b).
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.