By Dailymail.com Reporter
Published: 19:24 BST, 18 June 2019 | Updated: 19:24 BST, 18 June 2019
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A pill to cure the misery of tinnitus could be on the horizon following a breakthrough by scientists.
The debilitating condition was stopped in mice by blocking a protein that fuels brain inflammation.
The US team are hopeful it will lead to a gene therapy to combat ringing in the ears and other hearing loss disorders.
Recent research suggests hearing loss causes inflammation - the immune system's response to injury and infection - in the auditory pathway
About one in 10 people suffers from tinnitus which can cause stress, sleep difficulties, anxiety and hearing loss.
The condition is often linked with Meniere's disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and depression. But it is not known how it develops, and there is no cure.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Biology, suggests it is caused by a molecule called TNF-A (tumor necrosis factor alpha) that disrupts communication between neurons.
Blocking it pharmacologically also prevented tinnitus in lab rodents that developed the condition after being exposed to loud noise for two hours.
The findings suggest neuro-inflammation may be a therapeutic target for treating tinnitus and other hearing problems, said the researchers.
