# Molecular Mechanisms of Aminoglycoside Ototoxicity

> **NIH NIH R01** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2024 · $554,084

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Aminoglycosides are widely used to treat serious infections, as they have good activity against many multi-
drug resistant Gram-negative organisms. However, their strong and irreversible ototoxicity significantly limits
their clinical usage. The overall goal of this research is to investigate the pathological mechanisms underlying
AG ototoxicity and provide novel therapeutic targets to prevent it. We propose to investigate the functions of
aminoglycoside-binding proteins in hair cells, the sensory receptors in the inner ear. In our preliminary studies,
we have identified several proteins essential for aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Based on our preliminary data, we
hypothesize that a novel pathological mechanism is involved in aminoglycoside ototoxicity. To test our
hypothesis, we will: i) continue to investigate the expression, localization and functions of these proteins in hair
cells; ii) continue to characterize mouse lines carrying mutations in these genes; iii) continue to investigate the
functional interactions of these proteins in aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Our preliminary data show the feasibility
of our approach. We anticipate that our studies will shed new insights into the molecular mechanisms
underlying aminoglycoside ototoxicity and provide new leads for the development of new approaches to
prevent aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10766203
- **Project number:** 5R01DC018785-03
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Bo Zhao
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $554,084
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-02-07 → 2027-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10766203

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10766203, Molecular Mechanisms of Aminoglycoside Ototoxicity (5R01DC018785-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10766203. Licensed CC0.

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