Dexamethasone-eluting cochlear implants reduce inflammation and foreign body response in human and murine cochleae

Muhammad Taifur Rahman; Brian J Mostaert; Peter Eckard; Shakila Mahmuda Fatima; Rachel Scheperle; Ibrahim Razu; Bryce Hunger; Rafal T. Olszewski; Shoujun Gu; Cristina L. Garcia; Nashwaan Ali Khan; Douglas M Bennion; Jacob Oleson; Jonathon R. Kirk; Ya Lang Enke; Robert D. Gay; Robert J. Morell; Keiko Hirose; Michael Hoa; Alexander D. Claussen; Marlan R. Hansen

doi:10.1038/s41598-025-10739-y

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Dexamethasone-eluting cochlear implants reduce inflammation and foreign body response in human and murine cochleae

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Dexamethasone-eluting cochlear implants reduce inflammation and foreign body response in human and murine cochleae

Muhammad Taifur Rahman, Brian J Mostaert, Peter Eckard, Shakila Mahmuda Fatima, Rachel Scheperle, Ibrahim Razu, Bryce Hunger, Rafal T. Olszewski, Shoujun Gu, Cristina L. Garcia, …

Scientific reports, Vol.15(1), 30615

08/20/2025

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-10739-y

PMCID: PMC12368128

PMID: 40836064

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Abstract

The inflammatory foreign body response (FBR) following cochlear implantation (CI) can negatively impact CI outcomes, including increased electrode impedances. This study aims to investigate the long-term efficacy of dexamethasone-eluting cochlear implant and locally delivered dexamethasone, a potent anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid, on the intracochlear FBR and electrical impedance post-implantation in a murine model. Preliminary impedance data in humans are also provided as a complement to the murine data to illustrate generalizability and reinforce implications related to clinical application. The left ears of CX3CR1 +/GFP Thy1 +/YFP (macrophage-neuron dual reporter) mice were implanted with dexamethasone-eluting cochlear implants (Dex-CI) or standard implant (Standard-CI) while the right ear served as unoperated control. Another group of dual reporter mice was implanted with a standard CI electrode array followed by injection of dexamethasone in the middle ear to mimic current clinical practice (Dex-local). Mouse implants were electrically stimulated with serial measurements of electrical impedance. Human subjects were implanted with either standard or Dex-CI followed by serial impedance measurements. Dex-CI reduced electrical impedance in the murine model and human subjects and inflammatory FBR in the murine model for an extended period. Dex-local in the murine model is ineffective for long-term reduction of FBR and electrode impedance. Our data suggests that dexamethasone-eluting arrays are more effective than the current clinical practice of locally applied dexamethasone in reducing FBR and electrical impedance.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Dexamethasone-eluting cochlear implants reduce inflammation and foreign body response in human and murine cochleae
Creators: Muhammad Taifur Rahman - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Brian J Mostaert - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Peter Eckard - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Shakila Mahmuda Fatima - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Rachel Scheperle - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Ibrahim Razu - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Bryce Hunger - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Rafal T. Olszewski - Bethesda, MD USA
Shoujun Gu - Bethesda, MD USA
Cristina L. Garcia - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Nashwaan Ali Khan - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Douglas M Bennion - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Jacob Oleson - University of Iowa, Biostatistics
Jonathon R. Kirk - Sydney, Australia
Ya Lang Enke - Sydney, Australia
Robert D. Gay - Sydney, Australia
Robert J. Morell - Bethesda, MD USA
Keiko Hirose - St. Louis, MO USA
Michael Hoa - Bethesda, MD USA
Alexander D. Claussen - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Marlan R. Hansen - Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Scientific reports, Vol.15(1), 30615
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-10739-y
PMID: 40836064
PMCID: PMC12368128
NLM abbreviation: Sci Rep
ISSN: 2045-2322
eISSN: 2045-2322
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK
Grant note: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication DisordersMadeline Pyle (Auditory Development and Restoration Program, Neurotology Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
The authors thank Kapila de Silva (Cochlear Limited) for his technical support for UPLC experiments for dexamethasone-eluting implants from the murine model. The authors are grateful to Amy Bussa (Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States) for her dependability in sending notifications and email reminders to subjects regarding the daily remote impedance measurements. Authors would also like to acknowledge Madeline Pyle (Auditory Development and Restoration Program, Neurotology Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States) for her work in streamlining our immune cell scRNA-Seq protocol.
Language: English
Date published: 08/20/2025
Academic Unit: Communication Sciences and Disorders; Molecular Physiology and Biophysics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Biostatistics; Neurosurgery; Otolaryngology
Record Identifier: 9984948118302771

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