The EarInFlame project teams, winners of the first call for collaborative research projects in hearing health from the reConnect Institute

The EarInFlame project, led by two teams from the reConnect Institute (Hearing Institute, 12^th district of Paris) and the Pasteur Institute (Paris 15th district), was selected after the first call for research projects launched by the reConnect Institute in November 2024. With €80,000 in funding to spend over two years, the first edition of the reConnect Institute calls for projects aims to promote innovative research in the field of hearing health, immunity, and/or infection. The EarInFlame project teams will focus on trying to discover how inflammation damages the inner ear and in some cases, leads to hearing loss. These findings will contribute to the development of new therapeutic to prevent or slow down hearing damage in order to avoid the medical and social consequences of hearing loss.  

A call for strategic scientific projects

The call for projects launched in November 2024, also the date of the reConnect Institute start, under the aegis of the Pasteur Institute, is part of the institute's mission to transform hearing medicine, moving from a compensatory approach to a curative approach. The aim is to support innovative collaborative projects addressing infectious and/or immunological issues related to congenital and environmental hearing loss. This collaboration between Pasteur teams from the reConnect Institute and the main campus illustrates the commitment of the Pasteur Institute and the other founding members of the reConnect Institute to promote cutting-edge research in the hearing health field. 

The selection committee evaluated the projects according to several main criteria, including innovative potential, scientific quality, relevance of the collaboration, and feasibility of the project. 

EarInFlame: Decoding cochlear inflammation in progressive hearing loss: from mechanisms to therapies

• Sedigheh Delmaghani from the reConnect Institute within the Progressive Sensory Deficits, Pathophysiology and Therapy team at the Hearing Institute, part of the Pasteur Institute 

• Aleksandra Deczkowska, head of the 5-year Group (G5) Brain-Immune Communication at the Pasteur Institute

The researchers detail their ambitions: 

"Hearing loss is a growing global health issue, affecting more than 1.5 billion people worldwide and significantly impacting communication, social interactions, and general quality of life. Although hearing loss can result from aging, exposure to loud noises or genetic factors, recent research shows that inflammation in the inner ear plays a crucial role in its progression. However, the exact mechanisms behind this inflammation and its impact on hearing decline remain poorly understood. 

The EarInFlame project aims to discover how inflammation damages the inner ear leading to hearing loss. 

Using pionnering methods and specific animal models, we will study the profile and dynamics of immune cells in the inner ear and identify key inflammatory biomarkers and mechanisms of hearing degeneration. Moreover, we will analyze how noise exposure exacerbates inflammation and contributes to hearing damage over time. 

By understanding the interactio nbetween inflammation and hearing loss, the EarInFlame project aims to identify key inflammatory biomarkers and mechanisms of hearing loss, develop pionnering therapies to protect hearing, and develop personalized therapeutic approaches. 

To develop therapeutic solutions, we will evaluate anti-inflammatory treatments that specifically target these mechanisms. Therapeutic agents (such asmonoclonal antibodies or pharmacological agents) will be delivered directly into the inner ear, aiming to protect the cochlea and preserve hearing. 

This approach opens up new prospects for preventing and treating inflammation-related hearing loss by identifying therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers.