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 NEWS EUROHEAR |
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EuroHear: A
European research project on hereditary deafness, molecular, physiology
and pathophysiology of the inner ear.
The 5 year project commenced on December 1st
2004.
 EuroHear was officially
launched in Paris on March 23, gathering more than 70
people in the Conference Centre of the Curie Institute.
This field of research has been supported by the European Commission
for several
years. Indeed this project, granted 12.5 M€ by the EC, follows
programmes
also led by Christine Petit which have brought to light the prominent
role of
heredity in isolated (non syndromic), congenital or early-onset
childhood forms
of deafness.
As a direct consequence of these investigations, molecular diagnosis
for some
forms of deafness is now implemented in developed countries, as well as
in certain
developing countries.
This aforesaid implementation results in greatly improved genetic
counselling
available to families. It allows them to be informed about the
recurrence risks
for future children, of the hearing impairment’s probable
evolution, and
of the possible relevance of cochlear implantation.
Twenty-two academic institutions and three small privately owned
companies from
ten different countries are working in partnership over the project,
bringing
together 250 scientists across the world - acknowledged experts
including physicians,
geneticists, molecular and cellular biologists, electrophysiologists,
biophysicists
and theoreticians.
EuroHear is expanding the field of investigation to include the elderly
population:
presbycusis, a sensorineural form of deafness, accounts for the
majority of cases
of sensorineural hearing loss occurring in people over the age of 40.
The hypothesis
that this age-related hearing loss has a genetic basis has been put
forward for
decades. Only recently has science proved that 50% of the loss can be
attributed
to genetic factors. Presbycusis is a complex trait influenced by the
interplay
between environmental and genetic risk factors.
New research strategies, utilising tools of various scientific
disciplines, must
be developed to unravel these complex mechanisms.
The understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the
development and
function of the inner ear will pave the way for research into
therapeutic tools,
a challenge also undertaken by EuroHear.
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