In April 2022, researchers (including Dr. Staecker) proposed a human atlas of the cochlea, based on bioinformatic analysis of the perilymph proteome. The team identified 878 proteins in perilymph samples, including 203 perilymph- specific proteins; one-third of the tissue-specific proteins had not been previously reported to be associated with the inner ear in either animal studies or in vitro experiments (Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022;10:847157). The group also identified druggable targets within the perilymph proteome.
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December 2022Because perilymph fluid is difficult to obtain, researchers are now working to determine if it’s possible to identify potential biomarkers of inner ear pathology accurately and reliably in saliva or serum samples. “I think we’re getting close,” Dr. Staecker said. “We have a large Ménière’s study going on now where we’re looking at about 100 serum samples.”
As in rhinology, the search for effective otologic treatments is unfolding alongside the hunt for meaningful biomarkers. “There are a lot of companies testing out different medications for sensorineural hearing loss, but one of the big problems we have is that we’re missing solid biomarkers,” Dr. Staecker said. “So, it becomes a chicken-or-egg problem. We need the biomarkers to run a clinical trial at peak efficiency, and a lot of clinical trials that have failed may have done so because very similar-looking inner ear disorders are probably distinct from a molecular cellular standpoint.”
At present, analysis based on tissue biopsy or cytology samples is still the gold standard in the diagnosis of head and neck cancer (Cancers (Basel). 2021;13:1874). Chronic rhinosinusitis, Ménière’s disease, and other conditions of the nasal cavity, sinuses, and inner ear remain clinical diagnoses. Yet ongoing research will likely lead to innovative precision diagnostic techniques that will ultimately allow otolaryngologists to detect pathology through minimally or noninvasive measures and precisely treat disease.
Jennifer Fink is a freelance medical writer based in Wisconsin.
How Useful Are Multi-Cancer Early Detection Blood Tests?
While researches continue to look for reliable, actionable oncologic biomarkers, at least one multicancer early detection test is already commercially available.
The Galleri test, which has a list price of $949 and is currently available only by prescription, uses a simple blood sample to check for “a cancer signal shared by multiple cancers,” according to the company.
“These companies don’t necessary tell you what exactly it is they’re testing for,” said Steven Chang, MD, vice-chair of the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Henry Ford Health, located in Detroit. “They don’t let you know their specific molecular biomarkers and algorithm for testing. They just give you the final result.”