A Systematic Review on Metabolomics Analysis in Hearing Impairment: Is It a Possible Tool in Understanding Auditory Pathologies?

Abstract

With more than 466 million people affected, hearing loss represents the most common sensory pathology worldwide. Despite its widespread occurrence, much remains to be explored, particularly concerning the intricate pathogenic mechanisms underlying its diverse phenotypes. In this context, metabolomics emerges as a promising approach. Indeed, lying downstream from molecular biology’s central dogma, the metabolome reflects both genetic traits and environmental influences. Furthermore, its dynamic nature facilitates well-defined changes during disease states, making metabolomic analysis a unique lens into the mechanisms underpinning various hearing impairment forms. Hence, these investigations may pave the way for improved diagnostic strategies, personalized interventions and targeted treatments, ultimately enhancing the clinical management of affected individuals. In this comprehensive review, we discuss findings from 20 original articles, including human and animal studies. Existing literature highlights specific metabolic changes associated with hearing loss and ototoxicity of certain compounds. Nevertheless, numerous critical issues have emerged from the study of the current state of the art, with the lack of standardization of methods, significant heterogeneity in the studies and often small sample sizes being the main limiting factors for the reliability of these findings. Therefore, these results should serve as a stepping stone for future research aimed at addressing the aforementioned challenges.

The Inheritance of Hearing Loss and Deafness: A Historical Perspective

“…Metabolomics, reflecting both genetic traits and environmental influences, plays a crucial role in understanding various forms of hearing impairment [97]. Recent studies have reported consistent data on the predictive role of serum metabolic profiles in sudden hearing loss [98], noise-induced hearing loss [99], and the identification of markers for ototoxicity [97,100].…”

“…Metabolomics, reflecting both genetic traits and environmental influences, plays a crucial role in understanding various forms of hearing impairment [97]. Recent studies have reported consistent data on the predictive role of serum metabolic profiles in sudden hearing loss [98], noise-induced hearing loss [99], and the identification of markers for ototoxicity [97,100]. Metabolomic investigations may pave the way for improved diagnostic strategies, personalized interventions, and targeted treatments, ultimately enhancing the clinical management of individuals affected by different causes of hearing loss [101,102].…”