Practical Geriatrics ›› 2026, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (2): 111-115.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1003-9198.2026.02.002

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Research progress on drug targets for age-related hearing loss

JIN Jingjing, GU Qiuli, LEI Jaiwei, WANG Jiahe   

  1. Department of General Practice, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
  • Received:2025-12-15 Online:2026-02-20 Published:2026-02-27
  • Contact: WANG Jiahe, Email: wangjhcmusj@163.com

Abstract: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), also known as presbycusis, is one of the most prevalent chronic degenerative diseases worldwide, seriously affecting the quality of life and mental health of the elderly. However, there are currently no effective preventive or therapeutic drugs in clinical practice. This review systematically summarizes the latest research progress on potential drug targets from the perspective of three core mechanisms underlying the occurrence and development of ARHL: oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation. Finally, it proposes that although drugs developed based on these targets have demonstrated potential efficacy in protecting the cochlea and delaying hearing loss in preclinical studies, there are still limitations such as most experimental models being divorced from the natural human aging process, low efficiency in targeted drug delivery to the cochlea, and insufficient validation of the long-term safety of candidate drugs and their efficacy in the elderly physiological environment.    

Key words: age-related hearing loss, hearing impairment, drug target, aged, oxidative stress, hair cells, inflammation

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