Decibel Therapeutics (Nasdaq: DBTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to discovering and developing transformative treatments to restore and improve hearing and balance, today announced that findings from a study of noise-related inner ear damage conducted in collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and the Karolinska Institute (KI) have been published in Cell Reports.

The study’s aim was to generate an atlas of gene expression changes across inner ear cell types following noise damage. Decibel contributed gene expression data from inner ear neurons and cells of the stria vascularis, before and after noise damage, which was then combined with similar data from hair cells, non-sensory support cells and immune cells generated by UMSOM and KI. The study represents the first comprehensive such analysis and provides a foundational dataset that can be mined for future studies of the inner ear.

“We believe the lack of approved therapies for hearing and balance disorders is caused in part by the lack of molecular characterization of the complex cell biology of the inner ear. As such, we have built our platform to overcome this challenge. We were thrilled to leverage our data and expertise in inner ear biology to help fuel this analysis, which may help enable identification of therapeutics that counter the observed trends in gene expression that occur following noise exposure,” said Joe Burns, Ph.D., Vice President, Discovery, at Decibel Therapeutics. “This work is a testament to how data-sharing and analysis can help researchers across the field connect the dots to understand the mechanisms behind inner ear damage and explore novel approaches to treatment. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with our colleagues at the University of Maryland and other leaders in the field.”

Decibel’s platform is built on application of proprietary analyses of gene expression in the cochlea and vestibule and a comprehensive single-cell database of gene expression profiles from all known cell types within the inner ear. This comprehensive dataset includes over three million cellular transcriptional expression profiles from the cochlea and vestibule of several mammalian species. The dataset spans key stages of development from embryonic to adult and includes data generated after various perturbations, including noise, aging and chemical insult.

About Decibel Therapeutics

Decibel Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to discovering and developing transformative treatments to restore and improve hearing and balance, one of the largest areas of unmet need in medicine. Decibel has built a proprietary platform that integrates single-cell genomics and bioinformatic analyses, precision gene therapy technologies and expertise in inner ear biology. Decibel is leveraging its platform to advance gene therapies designed to selectively replace genes for the treatment of congenital, monogenic hearing loss and to regenerate inner ear hair cells for the treatment of acquired hearing and balance disorders. Decibel’s pipeline, including its lead gene therapy program, DB-OTO, to treat congenital, monogenic hearing loss, is designed to deliver on our vision of creating a world of connection for people with hearing and balance disorders. For more information about Decibel Therapeutics, please visit www.decibeltx.com or follow us on Twitter. 

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