ENTtoday
  • Home
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

New Drug May Help Prevent, Treat Tinnitus

by Mary Beth Nierengarten • August 11, 2015

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

By slightly modifying a drug currently used to treat epilepsy, researchers have come up with a new compound with the potential for superior efficacy in treating the disease, with fewer side effects. The bonus? The new compound may provide a way to prevent the development of tinnitus.

You Might Also Like

No related posts.

Explore This Issue
August 2015

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, investigators from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Connecticut added a fluorine atom to retigabine (ezobagine in the U.S., recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration as an add-on to treat epilepsy) to produce the new compound (SF0034, SciFluor) that selectively affects potassium channels in the brain (2015;35:8829-8842). Pre-clinical data showed that, like retigabine, SF0034 helps to open the potassium channels (KCNQ) responsible for controlling neuronal excitability and acts as a brake to shut down the overly excited nerve signaling in brain disorders such as epilepsy and tinnitus.

SF0034 acts as a brake to shut down the overly excited nerve signaling in brain disorders such as tinnitus.

The addition of the fluorine atom in SF0034 permits a greater selectivity by only opening two of the five potassium channels in the KCNQ family, whereas all five channels are opened when using retigabine. Due to the selectivity of SF0034, the compound was found to be less toxic and more potent in rodents and prevented the development of tinnitus in mice.

The need for a less toxic alternative to retigabine is highlighted by its associated toxicities, including dizziness, vertigo, tremor, confusion, urinary retention, vision changes, arrhythmia, psychiatric problems, and sleepiness, which have restricted its use. The investigators concluded that SF0034 provides not only a powerful tool for investigating ion channel properties, but, most importantly, it provides a clinical candidate for treating epilepsy and preventing tinnitus.

SciFluor now plans to start FDA trials with SF0034 to determine its safety and efficacy in humans.


Mary Beth Nierengarten is a freelance medical journalist based in Minnesota.

Filed Under: Features, Otology/Neurotology Tagged With: tinnitusIssue: August 2015

You Might Also Like:

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Is Middle Ear Pressure Affected by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Use?
    • Keeping Watch for Skin Cancers on the Head and Neck
    • Rating Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Severity: How Do Two Common Instruments Compare?
    • Otolaryngologists Are Still Debating the Effectiveness of Tongue Tie Treatment
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Rating Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Severity: How Do Two Common Instruments Compare?
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • What Happens to Medical Students Who Don’t Match?
    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name
    • Resident Unions Are Growing in Popularity in Otolaryngology
    • Is Caring for the Homeless and Uninsured Really Someone Else’s Problem?
    • Otolaryngology Practices Use Digital Tools to Pre-authorize—With Mixed Results
    • A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of DEI Medical Education Initiatives
    • Barbie, Bullying, and Bravery: Ending Workplace Bullying Requires Strong Leadership

Polls

Do you think resident unions are a positive development for otolaryngology?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Preferences

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2023 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939