Methods and compositions for diagnosing and treating loss and/or distortion of taste or smell
Disclosed herein are methods for diagnosing a subject with loss and/or distortion of taste or smell, e.g., hyposmia, dysosmia, anosmia, phantosmia, hypogeusia, dysgeusia, phantogeusia, and/or ageusia. Also disclosed herein are methods and compositions for treating a subject for loss and/or distortion of taste or smell, e.g., hyposmia, dysosmia, anosmia, phantosmia, hypogeusia, dysgeusia, phantogeusia, and/or ageusia.
1. A method of diagnosing and treating a taste or smell disorder, the method comprising:
a) obtaining a biological sample from a human subject, wherein the biological sample comprises nasal mucus, saliva, or a combination thereof;
b) measuring a level of sonic hedgehog (SHH) in the biological sample;
c) detecting a level of SHH in the biological sample that is lower than a threshold level; and
d) administering an effective amount of a PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, to the human subject.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biological sample comprises the nasal mucus.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the taste or smell disorder comprises hyposmia, dysosmia, anosmia, phantosmia, or a combination thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biological sample comprises the saliva.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the taste or smell disorder comprises hypogeusia, dysgeusia, phantogeusia, ageusia, or a combination thereof.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, is a non-selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, is a selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, is a phosphodiesterase-1 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-2 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-3 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-4 selective inhibitor, a phosphodiesterase-5 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof, a phosphodiesterase-10 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; or any combination thereof.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, is roflumilast, or a salt thereof; cilostazol, or a salt thereof; or any combination thereof.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, is theophylline, or a salt thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, is administered intranasally.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising diagnosing the subject with a taste and smell disorder based on the detecting of the lower level of SHH in the biological sample compared to the threshold level.