In this project, Dr Jason Powell at Newcastle University aims to investigate why children get glue ear and explore ways to develop treatments. Project start date: September 2026 Project end date: September 2029 About the project “Glue ear”, or ‘otitis media with effusion’, is one of the most common causes of hearing loss in children....
No actionable change — this is a newly funded research project that has not yet produced results; clinical practice for glue ear management is unchanged.
Glue ear is the most common cause of hearing loss in children, and a better understanding of its immune mechanisms could eventually lead to non-surgical treatments that reduce the need for grommets.
- 01Dr Jason Powell (Newcastle University) will investigate immune-cell dysfunction as an underlying cause of glue ear in children.
- 02Project runs September 2026–2029 — no findings are available yet.
- 03Focus is on otitis media with effusion (OME), the leading cause of acquired hearing loss in childhood.
- 04Research aims to identify potential new treatments targeting immune pathways.
- 05Funded project announced via RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) blog.
Dysfunction of infection-fighting (immune) cells is implicated in the development of glue ear in children.
opinionpartially supported- Publication type
- editorial
- Evidence level
- na
- Population
- Children with otitis media with effusion (glue ear) — study not yet commenced
- Intervention
- Investigation of immunological mechanisms underlying otitis media with effusion and potential treatments
Primary outcomes
Identification of immune-cell dysfunctions contributing to glue ear; Exploration of novel therapeutic targets for otitis media with effusion