Adult stem cell is happening right now to cure hearing loss!

Freddie wrote:
However, I am surprised and disappointed to see so many posters against stem cell therapy on principal. If you're happy being deaf, that's your business. Many of us are not and have a keen interest in seeing this research become a viable therapy. I find the condescension toward the people who are willing to try stem cell therapy - even now, when there's so little evidence that it will work at the moment - appalling. If someone wants to try it, that's their business and they shouldn't be raked over the coals for it. For many of us, hearing loss is a painful experience. There's no getting around that.

The only reason this research is happening at all is because of OPTIMISM and the refusal to accept "what God handed." And you know what? That's the only reason we've ever had any progress as a species at all. So if you're happy with your HA's and your CI's or just going au naturale, that's your business. But don't castigate those of us who want something more.
Click to expand...


I could not have said this better myself. You hit the nail on the head. :cool2:
 
sallylou said:
Other--exactly what credentials do you have that qualify you to answer these medical questions?
Click to expand...

I was wondering the same thing.:hmm: Especially since I think everyone's biggest concern is the lack of accurracy in the information being offered.
 
jillio said:
I was wondering the same thing.:hmm: Especially since I think everyone's biggest concern is the lack of accurracy in the information being offered.
Click to expand...

That may be YOUR concern, but that doesn't seem to be "everyone's biggest concern" here at all. You stated earlier that many people on this forum subscribe to the philosophy that being deaf is okay and not an ill that needs to be cured. Many people on this forum don't seem to WANT the therapy to work. One poster even voted against it. Healthy skepticism is to be encouraged, but that's not what I'm seeing here.
 
Freddie said:
I too am skeptical that stem cell therapy will be widely available to cure hearing loss any time soon. I've not seen any credible data available as to how far ahead other countries are in respect to the U.S. on this research. I've not seen that ANY U.S. or European researchers are even in human clinical trials yet. Even then it will be years before we see therapies with FDA approval. We still have a ways to go.

However, I am surprised and disappointed to see so many posters against stem cell therapy on principal. If you're happy being deaf, that's your business. Many of us are not and have a keen interest in seeing this research become a viable therapy. I find the condescension toward the people who are willing to try stem cell therapy - even now, when there's so little evidence that it will work at the moment - appalling. If someone wants to try it, that's their business and they shouldn't be raked over the coals for it. For many of us, hearing loss is a painful experience. There's no getting around that.

The only reason this research is happening at all is because of OPTIMISM and the refusal to accept "what God handed." And you know what? That's the only reason we've ever had any progress as a species at all. So if you're happy with your HA's and your CI's or just going au naturale, that's your business. But don't castigate those of us who want something more.
Click to expand...

Good post.

What I think is that it boils down to "trying to protect their own" when it comes to Deaf culture. And so this lashing out is a manifestation of their frustrations or even daresay fear of what may likely be coming down the road once adult stem cells prove advantageous to those with sensorineural hearing loss. With most of the hearing loss population with that condition (where over 30 million have hearing loss), we're talking a huge potential for people to have this treatment someday. It's coming, and people know it. So, I think it's fear and they lash out using derisions, scoffing, belittlement, and so on. It's apparent when one does that.
 
I don't know Fred.

Most of the concerns I have seen is:

1) How effective will it be
2) How long will it take before it's a viable treatment
3) What kind of losses is it limited to?

If I ask a young adult that is going deaf... stem cells is too far away from them to even think about it since it wouldn't fix their immediate problems; and they don't qualify for CIs... so they either still try to go through life as a hard-of-hearing... or learn ASL. They don't want to waste their lives waiting for something to happen to fix their problems.
 
souggy said:
I don't know Fred.

Most of the concerns I have seen is:

1) How effective will it be
2) How long will it take before it's a viable treatment
3) What kind of losses is it limited to?

If I ask a young adult that is going deaf... stem cells is too far away from them to even think about it since it wouldn't fix their immediate problems; and they don't qualify for CIs... so they either still try to go through life as a hard-of-hearing... or learn ASL. They don't want to waste their lives waiting for something to happen to fix their problems.
Click to expand...

Those are good questions, but no one is clairvoyant. Guesses from scientists range from 5 - 30 years. Much of it depends on funding; researchers spend a great deal of their work time filling out grant applications to keep their research going. And the Bush years were abysmal in that regard. We're behind of where we should be.

But that doesn't mean the research itself isn't viable - and that's the assertion I keep seeing on this forum, and what concerns me.
 
As for how effective hearing loss treatment will be, well, researchers seem to be pretty optimistic that it will be effective. No one yet knows what kind of losses it will be limited to; I can say that researchers are taking different approaches. Some researchers are focusing on stem cell therapy and others are focusing on figuring out how to get hair cells to grow back via a pill. One company, Sound Pharmaceuticals, is developing drugs to treat hearing loss due to chemotherapy as well as drugs to treat noise-induced hearing loss. They're also developing a drug to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. They're aim is to develop these drugs in such a way that they'll eventually be approved by the FDA.

Does that help?
 
Why does the poster's name keep changing? You'd have more credibility if you were a member of this community, if you had a consistent identity and if you directly answered valid questions.

The issues are:
(1) Your lack of credibility
(2) Lack of scientific evidence
(3) Taking advantage of people desperate for a cure
(4) Lack of transparency about your financial interest
(5) Possible harmful effects of any treatment
(6) Probable lack of efficacy
(7) Possible lack of any legal recourse in the U.S., depending on jurisdictional issues
(8) Your attitude toward deafness and the deaf/Deaf community
 
I hope that more options are available for my children. Since my loss is genetic, I obviously have an interest in treatments for my children and future grandchildren. Realistically, it will probably be at least the generation of my grandchildren that have more options. Progress is slow.
 
it's rather quick considering this began barely a decade ago on adult stem cells and hearing loss. In the field of adult stem cells and cord stem cells research and clinical trials to applications are beginning to take off. Just as it seemed like progress was "slow" twenty years ago when hardly anybody had access to the internet or emails. Now, we're swamped with it.
 
Freddie said:
That may be YOUR concern, but that doesn't seem to be "everyone's biggest concern" here at all. You stated earlier that many people on this forum subscribe to the philosophy that being deaf is okay and not an ill that needs to be cured. Many people on this forum don't seem to WANT the therapy to work. One poster even voted against it. Healthy skepticism is to be encouraged, but that's not what I'm seeing here.
Click to expand...

I voted against it only because at the time no proof of results was available to the voting public in Missouri. If I can see concrete proof that it works, then I may reconsider. I also said that just because that was my opinon did not mean that I would not support another person. They have their own thoughts and values and I don't push mine onto other people. I am happy the way that I am. I have accepted that I cannot hear. I had accepted that I had a hearing problem while growing up. As long as I accept it, then I have no problem. My biggest confusion is when people are not happy with their current life for whatever reason.
 
sallylou said:
Why does the poster's name keep changing? You'd have more credibility if you were a member of this community, if you had a consistent identity and if you directly answered valid questions.

The issues are:
(1) Your lack of credibility
(2) Lack of scientific evidence
(3) Taking advantage of people desperate for a cure
(4) Lack of transparency about your financial interest
(5) Possible harmful effects of any treatment
(6) Probable lack of efficacy
(7) Possible lack of any legal recourse in the U.S., depending on jurisdictional issues
(8) Your attitude toward deafness and the deaf/Deaf community
Click to expand...

Good posting, Sallylou!
 
sallylou said:
Why does the poster's name keep changing? You'd have more credibility if you were a member of this community, if you had a consistent identity and if you directly answered valid questions.

The issues are:
(1) Your lack of credibility
(2) Lack of scientific evidence
(3) Taking advantage of people desperate for a cure
(4) Lack of transparency about your financial interest
(5) Possible harmful effects of any treatment
(6) Probable lack of efficacy
(7) Possible lack of any legal recourse in the U.S., depending on jurisdictional issues
(8) Your attitude toward deafness and the deaf/Deaf community
Click to expand...

Is that directed toward me, Sallylou?
 
KristinaB said:
I voted against it only because at the time no proof of results was available to the voting public in Missouri. If I can see concrete proof that it works, then I may reconsider. I also said that just because that was my opinon did not mean that I would not support another person. They have their own thoughts and values and I don't push mine onto other people. I am happy the way that I am. I have accepted that I cannot hear. I had accepted that I had a hearing problem while growing up. As long as I accept it, then I have no problem. My biggest confusion is when people are not happy with their current life for whatever reason.
Click to expand...

My biggest confusion is why you would vote against stem cell research and then claim you would support other people and would not push your opinion onto others. In voting against it, that's exactly what you did. And how, exactly, are scientists supposed to get concrete results without funding? Much of that funding will come from voting results. Or not, if people vote against it.

Look, I'm not trying to start a fight. But I'm bleeping SICK of people who don't bother to do their own research and then try to speak with some semblance of authority on pending treatments for hearing loss. There's PLENTY of information out there if you care to look.
 
Back
Top