In this project, Dr Benjamin Delprat at the Université de Montpellier explores if it is possible to protect the sound-sensing cells of the inner ear, preventing hearing loss caused by the anti-cancer drug cisplatin.
Project start date: September 2024
Project end date: August 2027
About the project
Every cell in the body is made up of different compartments. For the cell to function well, these compartments need to communicate with each other. One of the most important connections is between the endoplasmic reticulum (which makes all the proteins that the cell needs) and the mitochondria (which produce the energy that the cell needs to function).
If the connection between the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria is damaged or stops working, it can lead to the death of the cell. This is what happens in many neurodegenerative diseases.
More recently, evidence has suggested that cisplatin, an anti-cancer drug which can cause hearing loss as a side effect by damaging the sound-sensing cells (called hair cells) in the cochlea, may do so by blocking this cellular communication.
In this project, Dr Delprat sees whether he can restore this communication.
How it works
Data from the Delprat lab has shown that it is possible to restore communication between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria by targeting a protein involved in the process with drug molecules that activate it. The aim of the research is to investigate whether targeting this protein can protect hair cells from the damaging effects of cisplatin treatment.
How will this research benefit people at risk from hearing loss?
The results from this project could ultimately lead to a treatment that can protect people’s hearing when they have to undergo cisplatin chemotherapy.
About the researcher
Dr Benjamin Delprat leads a group in the Molecular Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Diseases (MMDN) laboratory at the Université de Montpellier. He was awarded an RNID Discovery Research Grant for this project in 2024.
I decided I wanted to work in hearing research when I was studying at Montpellier. I was amazed by the beauty of the cochlea and its perfect functioning.
I really hope that the research conducted by my team will lead to a way to protect hearing when someone has to be treated with an ototoxic (ear-toxic) drug such as cisplatin.”
