Debashree Mukherjea, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Research Interests/Areas of Expertise:
- Hearing loss due to :
- platinum chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin and carboplatin,
- aminoglycoside antibiotics
- noise trauma
- Oxidative stress and inflammation in injured cochlea leading to hearing loss
- Cochlear stress response and apoptosis
- Development of tangible preventative and therapeutic drugs/targets for hearing loss
The main focus of my laboratory is to study cochlear stress response to various ototoxic drugs and noise trauma and define tangible real world targets for treatment and prevention of hearing loss. One of the major goals is to determine the mechanisms of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Reports show that 10% of Americans have permanent hearing loss to some extent and have difficulty in understanding normal speech. Chronic unwarranted noise exposure is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. We have shown that acute noise exposure causes an immediate increase in cochlear oxidative stress as well as inflammation.
We are studying the mechanism of noise induced ROS generation leading to inflammation and ultimately hearing loss. Moreover, we are testing various compounds known for their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory properties in combating NIHL. In addition, we have a patent on a drug that has shown significant protection from NIHL as well as from chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin (used in the treatment of solid tumors) induced hearing loss in the rat model. We hope to take that drug from bench to bedside in clinical trials.
Furthermore, we have ongoing collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and test their drugs against hearing loss.
Full CV download here