Towards stem cell therapies for hearing loss: awareness and perspectives of Australian audiologists and their patients.

Over the last two decades, numerous experimental studies have examined the feasibility of delivering stem cells into the cochlea to restore hearing. While these studies have spawned new cell therapy companies, there is little information on what patients understand or expect from these emerging therapies. This study sought to understand the awareness and perspectives of Australian audiologists and their adult patients toward stem cell therapies for treating hearing loss. An anonymous survey indicated 91% of patients and 39% of audiologists were unaware of these therapies being developed. Thirty percent of audiologists reported being asked about stem cell therapies for hearing loss, but 70% were not confident answering patient queries about this and were unsure where to gather information. Primary concerns reported by patients were cost (45%) and safety of treatment (42%). Interestingly, 58% of patients were unsure of how this therapy would improve their hearing, yet 25% of these patients expected that their hearing would return to normal. There was strong support for development of educational materials for both patient and clinician. The increasingly important role of audiologists in providing patient counselling was reflected in overwhelming support (from both patient and clinician) for audiologists providing such information.