The cause of hearing loss caused by the anti-cancer drug cisplatin was identified

anti-cancer drug cisplatin can cause permanent hearing loss. A new study by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) confirms the pathological mechanisms behind this side effect. In a paper published
the journal Psychic, the researchers said cisplatin build-up in the inner ear, especially in cochlear implant lines, is a direct cause of hearing loss in patients. The new findings point the way for scientists to study ways to eliminate the side effects of platinum-based anticancer drugs that damage hearing.
is a powerful drug used to treat a variety of cancers and is widely used, but the side effects of the drug, especially the damage to the patient's hearing, are worrying. In the United States, 10 to 20 percent of cancer patients take cisplatin and similar platinum drugs, and 40 to 80 percent of adults and at least half of children suffer permanent hearing loss.
In the new study, researchers found that after patients took cisplatin, drugs in most areas of the body were eliminated within days to weeks of treatment, but in the inner ear, the drug remained longer and its residue gradually increased as the number of doses was taken. The data showed that drug residues in the inner ear in adult patients can last for months or even years, while the amount of cisplatin that accumulates in the inner ear in children is even higher than in adults. Further studies have shown that the cochlea veins accumulate the highest amount of cisplatin in tissues. Researchers believe that cisplatin build-up in cochlear implant lines is the cause of hearing loss.
new findings could help explain why cancer patients experience hearing loss after each cisplatin treatment, and why children suffer more from hearing loss than adults. The researchers point out that if cisplatin can be prevented from entering cochlear vessel lines during treatment, it can protect patients from hearing loss caused by cisplatin, which is the next step for scientists. (Source: Science and Technology Daily Liu Haiying)