Innovative Regenerative Therapy to Restore Hearing Loss and Improve Speech Perception

Frequency Therapeutics is pioneering a regenerative molecular therapy that aims to reverse hearing loss by reactivating dormant progenitor cells in the inner ear, offering hope for millions affected worldwide.

The Challenge of Hearing Loss and Its Societal Impact

Hearing loss affects tens of millions globally, often resulting in frustration, social isolation, and debilitating tinnitus. Moreover, it has a strong correlation with dementia, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments beyond traditional hearing aids and implants.

Innovative Regenerative Therapy Using Progenitor Cells

The biotechnology company Frequency Therapeutics employs small molecules to program progenitor cells in the cochlea to regenerate the hair cells essential for hearing. This approach avoids gene therapies’ complexities by injecting these molecules directly into the ear, enabling cell regeneration where hair cells have been lost due to noise or drugs.

Clinical trials have demonstrated significant improvements in speech perception—the ability to understand and recognize words—after a single injection, with some benefits lasting nearly two years. Frequency has dosed over 200 patients, showing clinically meaningful results across multiple studies.

“Hearing connects people to their community and cultivates identity — restoring it can profoundly impact society.”

From Laboratory Breakthroughs to Clinical Success

The journey began with research at MIT, where scientists including Robert Langer and Jeff Karp discovered that progenitor cells could be coaxed into producing thousands of hair cells using small molecules. This breakthrough led to the founding of Frequency Therapeutics and rapid progression into clinical trials.

Unlike gene therapies that require cell extraction and reimplantation, Frequency’s method offers a simpler, local biological control of tissue regeneration. The company envisions broad applications since progenitor cells exist throughout the body.

Expanding Horizons: Beyond Hearing Loss

Frequency is also developing a drug candidate targeting multiple sclerosis (MS) by promoting remyelination via progenitor cells that generate myelin-producing cells in the brain. Early animal studies have shown dramatic increases in myelin, with an investigational new drug application expected soon.

Co-founder Chris Loose highlights the platform’s potential, stating this regenerative approach is “the future of regenerative medicine,” with applications that could revolutionize treatments for various tissues.

A Promising Future for Regenerative Medicine

Frequency’s progress has already transformed lives, enabling people who had struggled with hearing loss for decades to engage in everyday conversations again. Researchers envision that within 10 to 15 years, reversing hearing loss could become as routine as Lasik surgery is for vision.

With ongoing trials and expanding research into other diseases, Frequency Therapeutics exemplifies how harnessing progenitor cells with small molecules could redefine medical treatment paradigms.