Investigating the Effects of Blocking Immune Disease Pathways in Meniere’s Disease

Principal Investigator: Dr. Dhasakumar Navaratnam

Disease: Meniere’s disease

Research Description:

Meniere’s disease is an inner ear disorder that causes a number of vestibular issues such as severe dizziness, hearing loss and tinnitus, and symptom severity increases with age. There are no FDA approved treatments for Meniere’s disease, and, in advanced Meniere’s disease, treatment may include surgical excision of the inner ear structures (labyrinthectomy). Despite its clinical impact on patients, the cause of this condition has remained enigmatic, partly due to limited accessibility of the inner ear structures and tissues, which are deep in the bones of the side of the head. Previous research has shown that there may be a link between autoimmunity and Meniere’s disease, but this link is not well understood. In this preclinical study, the research team will assess the impact of blocking molecular pathways in immune cells from Meniere’s disease patients with sirolimus and TNF alpha inhibitors, currently used in the treatment of other immune-mediated conditions such as  rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. In addition, the team will study labyrinthectomy tissue from patients with Meniere’s disease using single-cell RNA sequencing to better understand the potential immunological etiology of Meniere’s disease and to identify repurposed drug targets for future research.

Funding Partners: Becky and Lester Knight

CWR Funding Role: Primary