Novel Oral Multifunctional Antioxidant Prevents Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Hair Cell Loss
MFRM HK-2 is a novel, safe, orally-deliverable and highly effective otoprotective compound with considerable promise for preventing hearing loss from noise and other hearing disorders linked to excessive oxidative stress. HK-2 dose-dependently reduces the amount of noise-induced hearing impairment as reflected by both cochlear compound action potentials and hair cell loss. In addition, it protects the viability of HEI-OC1 cells (a cochlear cell line) under diverse oxidative stress environments.
Peter F. Kador received a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the Ohio State University and after a 25-year career at the National Institutes of Health retired as the Chief of the Laboratory of Ocular Therapeutics from the National Eye Institute. Prior to becoming Professor Emeritus, he served for 18 years as a professor at the College of Pharmacy and adjunct professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology, His work has been recognized with numerous national and international awards that include the Rhoto Cataract Research Award, Alcon Research Institute Award, Kinoshita Lectureship, Ernst H. Bárány Prize, UNMC Distinguished Scientist Award, Capital University Alumni Award, the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Jack Beal Postbaccalaureate Alumni Achievement Award, and the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit) from the German Government. He is a fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Association of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and an overseas fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a member of the American Health Council in Ophthalmology.