Navigating the Genetic Risk of Chemotherapy-Induced Hearing Loss in the Stria Vascularis

Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug that causes permanent hearing loss by damaging a critical tissue lining the inner ear, called the stria vascularis (SV). Currently, the molecular mechanisms of SV damage are largely unknown and the incidence of ototoxicity in patients cannot be reliably predicted. Growing evidence suggests certain genetic variants expressed in the SV are significant risk factors for ototoxicity, which may be leveraged to better understand cisplatin-induced hearing loss. Also highlighted are innovative developments in integrating genomic and transcriptomic data through multi-omic approaches that may be translated to improve future genetic testing and otoprotectant development.