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Description

In this final episode of Closest to Natural Hearing, Marcus Schmidt speaks with Dr. Hinrich Staecker and Dr. Peter Nopp about the future of cochlear implantation. They explore how advances in AI, anatomy‑based fitting, hearing preservation, and fully implantable systems are reshaping outcomes for current and future CI users. The conversation also highlights emerging developments in gene therapy, drug‑emitting electrodes, robotics, and individualized surgical planning—all pointing toward a future in which hearing with a CI is more natural, seamless, and accessible than ever.

Literature References:

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Lee S, Lee S, Park S: Comprehensive genetic profiling of sensorineural hearing loss using an integrative diagnostic approach. Cell Reports Medicine, 2025; 6.

Manrique-Huarte, Raquel; Zulueta-Santos, Cristina; Calavia, Diego; Linera-Alperi, Marta Álvarez de; Gallego, Maria Antonia; Jolly, Claude; Manrique, Manuel. Cochlear Implantation With a Dexamethasone Eluting Electrode Array: Functional and Anatomical Changes in Non-Human Primates. Otology & Neurotology 41(7):p e812-e822, August 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000002686.

Michael Nieratschker, Pavel Mistrik, Zdenek Petrasek, Erdem Yildiz, Anselm J. Gadenstaetter, Matthias Gerlitz, Anne-Margarethe Kramer, Monika Kwiatkowska, Susanne Braun, Reimar Schlingensiepen, Clemens Honeder, Christoph Arnoldner. Silicone-based AC102-loaded cochlear implant coatings protect residual hearing in an animal model of cochlear implantation, Hearing Research, Volume 454, 2024, doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2024.109150.

Prenzler N, Salcher R, Büchner A, Warnecke A, Kley D, Batsoulis C, Vormelcher S, Mitterberger-Vogt M, Morettini S, Schilp S, Hochmair I, Lenarz T. Cochlear implantation with a dexamethasone-eluting electrode array: First-in-human safety and performance results. Hear Res. 2025 Jun;461:109255. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2025.109255. Epub 2025 Mar 23. PMID: 40158223. 

Shearer AE, Hildebrand MS, Odell AM, et al. Genetic Hearing Loss Overview. 1999 Feb 14 [Updated 2025 Apr 3]. In: Adam MP, Bick S, Mirzaa GM, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2026. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK1434/.