Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a standard treatment for vestibular schwannoma but is associated with a substantial risk of progressive and irreversible hearing loss. NADPH oxidase 3 (NOX3), an enzyme predominantly expressed in the inner ear, has been identified as a key source of oxidative stress underlying cochlear injury....
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Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable clinical change — this is a preclinical mouse study; NADPH oxidase 3 inhibition as a hearing-protective strategy requires human trials before any clinical application.
Radiation-induced hearing loss is a major quality-of-life burden for vestibular schwannoma patients, and identifying a targetable enzyme pathway could eventually lead to a pharmacological hearing-protection strategy during radiosurgery.
- 01Inhibiting NADPH oxidase 3 (NOX3) preserved hearing in mice after stereotactic radiosurgery.
- 02The study was published in Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids.
- 03Stereotactic radiosurgery is a standard treatment for vestibular schwannoma (a benign inner-ear nerve tumor).
- 04Radiation-induced oxidative stress in the cochlea (inner ear) is the proposed mechanism of hearing damage.
- 05Findings are preclinical only; no human data available yet.
NADPH oxidase 3 inhibition preserves hearing in mice following stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma.
studysupportedNOX3-mediated oxidative stress is a key mechanism of radiation-induced cochlear damage.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42621021
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.omtn.2026.103036.
- Journal
- Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Mice undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma
- Intervention
- Pharmacological inhibition of NADPH oxidase 3 (NOX3)
- Comparator
- Untreated/vehicle control mice
Primary outcomes
Hearing preservation post-radiosurgery; Cochlear oxidative stress markers