Detail

Keywords

Cochlea; Cochlear Implantation; Cochlear Implants; Drug Delivery Systems; Ear, Inner; Hearing Loss; Skull Base; Translational Medical Research

Research group(s)

• Christian Doppler Lab for Inner Ear Research
  Head: Christoph Arnoldner
  Research Area: This CD laboratory investigates the underlying mechanisms of inner ear diseases and researches various therapeutic approaches for the treatment of hearing loss. The high prevalence of hearing loss worldwide and the expected increase in hearing loss require innovative research strategies to improve patient care.
  Members:
  Christoph Arnoldner
  Anselm J. Gadenstaetter

Research interests

Our research focuses on studying function preservation and rehabilitation within the inner ear. By adopting translational research approaches, we investigate cochlear health and physiology following cochlear traumata, especially after cochlear implantation. Recently, my group established a large animal model for inner ear research. This model allows us to implant clinically applied cochlear implant electrodes and subsequently study the structural and functional trauma elicited by cochlear implantation. Moreover, using this model, we can investigate the efficacy and kinetics of novel otoprotective compounds after local drug application into the middle or inner ear. This includes amongst other thermoreversible hydrogel formulations, drug-eluting electrodes, or novel devices for intracochlear drug administration. Additionally, our research further focuses on identifying suitable viral vectors for targeted gene delivery into the inner ear. In our research, we strive to identify clinically relevant biomarkers predicting cochlear implant outcome. This is accomplished by correlating various electrophysiological parameters or genomics and proteomics of inner ear fluids to structural damage observed in the cochlea.

Selected publications

1. Yildiz, E. et al. (2023) ‘Investigation of inner ear drug delivery with a cochlear catheter in piglets as a representative model for human cochlear pharmacokinetics’, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 14. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1062379.
2. Yildiz, E. et al. (2022) ‘Single-incision cochlear implantation and hearing evaluation in piglets and minipigs’, Hearing Research, 426, p. 108644. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2022.108644.
3. Dahm, V. et al. (2021) ‘Evaluation of Levels of Triamcinolone Acetonide in Human Perilymph and Plasma After Intratympanic Application in Patients Receiving Cochlear Implants’, JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 147(11), p. 974. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2021.2492.
4. Honeder, C. et al. (2019) ‘Sustained-Release Triamcinolone Acetonide Hydrogels Reduce Hearing Threshold Shifts in a Model for Cochlear Implantation with Hearing Preservation’, Audiology and Neurotology, 24(5), pp. 237–244. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1159/000501331.
5. Honeder, C. et al. (2016) ‘Effects of sustained release dexamethasone hydrogels in hearing preservation cochlear implantation’, Hearing Research, 341, pp. 43–49. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2016.08.001.