Method of providing agents to the cochlea
Provided is a method of transfecting cells of the cochlea with an agent by electroporation, and in certain embodiments using a cochlear implant to provide at least one electroporation electrode.
1. A method of transfecting cells with an agent by electroporation within a cochlea of a subject, the method comprising introducing a cochlear implant which comprises at least one electrode into the cochlea, providing the agent to the cochlea, and providing at least one second electrode, connecting said at least one electrode and said at least one second electrode to an external isolated electroporation circuitry and then providing an electroporation electric field between the at least one electrode and the at least one second electrode by applying a voltage of from 10 to 100 volts between said electrodes using said external isolated electroporation circuitry and thereby transfecting cells with the agent.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agent comprises a nucleic acid molecule.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule encodes a neurotrophic factor for spiral ganglion cells.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule encodes a transcription factor which modulates the expression of a neurotrophic factor for spiral ganglion cells by mesenchymal cells of the scala tympani.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule decreases the expression of a transcription factor within mesenchymal cells of the scala tympani or scala vestibuli, wherein the transcription factor modulates the expression of a neurotrophic factor for spiral ganglion cells by the mesenchymal cell.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the neurotrophic factor is selected from any one of Neurotrophin-3, Neurotrophin-3 precursor molecule, Neurotrophin 4/5, Nerve growth factor, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, ciliary neurotrophic factor and Activity dependent neurotrophic factor.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrode or the cochlear implant which comprises at least one electrode is introduced into the scala tympani or the scala vestibuli of the cochlea.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cochlear implant comprises the at least one electrode and the second electrode.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agent is provided to the cochlea before introducing the cochlear implant into the cochlea.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the agent to the cochlea substantially displaces the media lying within the cochlea chamber.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electroporation electrode of the cochlear implant and the at least one second electrode also act as auditory nerve stimulator electrodes.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said electroporation electric field between the at least one electrode and the at least one second electrode is provided by applying a voltage of from 10 to 20 volts between said electrodes.