Brent Wilkerson, Ph.D.
Pathological mechanisms of cisplatin ototoxicity and testing of otoprotective treatments targeting angiogenesis and vascular function in the inner ear
Research Interest
As a vascular biologist, it is striking that hearing loss often coincides with congenital and acquired cardiovascular disorders. Also, hinting at common pathogenic mechanisms of hearing loss and cardiovascular disease are shared risk factors such as age, diabetes, poor diet, gender, smoking, and dyslipidemia. Determining whether and how these risk factors influence hearing loss is an active area of basic research. Our preliminary findings suggest that targeting lipoprotein pathways that regulate lipid levels in cells can protect against cisplatin ototoxicity. We are now interested to interrogate the protective effects at a mechanistic level and also to develop otoprotective treatments based on this finding.