2. Oxidative Stress and Hearing Loss by Samson Jamesdaniel
3. Corticotropin Releasing Factor Signaling in the Mammalian Cochlea: An Integrative Niche for Cochlear Homeostatic Balance Against Noise by Douglas E. Vetter and Kathleen T. Yee
4. Cochlear vascular pathology and hearing loss by Xiaorui Shi
5. Cochlear Inflammation Associated with Noise-Exposure by Elizabeth M. Keithley
6. Middle Ear Infection and Hearing Loss by Arwa Kurabi, Daniel Schaerer and Allen F. Ryan
7. Inflammation potentiates cochlear uptake of ototoxins and drug-induced hearing loss by Peter S. Steyger
8. The Contribution of Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Functions of Adenosine A1 Receptor In Mediating Otoprotection by Sandeep Sheth, Debashree Mukherjea, Leonard Rybak and Vickram Ramkumar
9. Trauma, Inflammation, Cochlear Implantation induced hearing loss and Otoprotective strategies to limit hair cell death and hearing loss by Stefania Goncalves, Enrique Perez, Esperanza Bas, Christine T Dinh, and Thomas R Van De Water
10. Anti-inflammatory therapies for sensorineural hearing loss by Alanna M. Windsor
11. Implementation and Outcomes of Clinical Trials in Immune-Mediated Hearing Loss and other Rare Diseases by Andrea Vambutas & Martin L. Lesser
Vickram Ramkumar, Ph.D., joined the faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 1992. He is a professor of pharmacology.
Previously he was a research associate in cardiology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. (1986-92).
Ramkumar is the author of more than 65 articles. His research interest is the molecular pharmacology of adenosine receptors in cardiovascular and auditory systems and cellular signal transduction processes.
Dr. Leonard P. Rybak, is a professor and ear, nose and throat specialist whose general otolaryngology practice focuses on sinus disease and obstructive sleep apnea.
Dr. Rybak's professional affiliations include the American College of Surgeons, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery. Locally, he is a member of the Sangamon County Medical Society and of various committees at St. John’s Hospital and the SIU School of Medicine. He serves as president of the Sangamon County Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience.
The primary goal of this project is to describe our current understanding of the oxidant hypothesis of noise and drug-induced hearing loss and show how this process translates into cochlear inflammation. Basic cellular mechanisms underlying the contribution of oxidant stress to hearing loss will be explained and molecular pathways leading to inflammatory processes will be outlined. Several different aspects of the cochlear inflammatory process will be discussed in detail. These include the sources of inflammatory cells, chemokines, inflammatory cytokines and the roles of cochlear resident immune cells in mediating hearing loss. In addition, evidence for a robust cochlear-based steroid axis which is activated by cochlear stress and serves a protective system. The role of the strial vasculature networks which aid in maintenance of the blood-labyrinth barrier and control the entry of circulating immune cells into the cochlea will be described. Molecular pathways leading to activation of the local inflammatory process will be highlighted and otoprotective treatment options will be discussed. The relevance of certain clinically used anti-inflammatory interventions, such as trans-tympanic steroids and other drugs will also be discussed. Furthermore, we will examine recent patents focusing on the use of anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of drug and noise-induced hearing loss.
It is our hope that this book would provide a better understanding of the interaction of oxidative stress and inflammation in hearing loss. This book should provide basic information to scientists in the field of auditory research and to enlighten clinicians who treat patients with potentially ototoxic drugs.