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Although ATC is a lethal neoplasm, long-term survival may be acquired in cases in which the aggressive management, including curative resection or RT/concurrent CRT, is possible for therapeutic intent. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 133-139, 2017.

Cochlear hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system. It is well established that antibiotic drugs such as gentamicin can damage hair cells and cause hearing loss. Rescuing hair cells after ototoxic injury is an important issue in hearing recovery. Although many studies have indicated a positive effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on neural cell survival, there has been no study on the effects of LLLT on cochlear hair cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of LLLT on hair cell survival following gentamicin exposure in organotypic cultures of the cochlea of rats. The cochlea cultures were then divided into a control group (n = 8), a laser-only group (n = 8), a gentamicin-only group (n = 8) and a gentamicin plus laser group (n = 7). The control cultures were allowed to grow continuously for 11 days. The laser-only cultures were irradiated with a laser with a wavelength of 810 nm at 8 mW/cm(2) for 60 min per day (0.48 J/cm(2)) for 6 days. The gentamicin groups were exposed to 1 mM gentamicin for 48 h and allowed to recover (gentamicin-only group) or allowed to recover with daily irradiation (gentamicin plus laser group). The hair cells in all groups were stained with FM1-43 and counted every 3 days. The number of hair cells was significantly larger in the gentamicin plus laser group than in the gentamicin-only group. The number of hair cells was larger in the laser-only group than in the control group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. These results suggest that LLLT may promote hair cell survival following gentamicin damage in the cochlea. This is the first study in the literature that has demonstrated the beneficial effect of LLLT on the recovery of cochlear hair cells.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-level light therapy (LLLT) using new irradiation parameters for chronic unilateral tinnitus with cochlear dysfunction. Design: A single-blind, randomized clinical trial Setting: Tertiary-care hospital center Participants: Participants who had a history of chronic unilateral tinnitus (≥ 3 months) and pure-tone thresholds greater than 15dB (averaged for 3k, 4k, and 6k Hz). Main outcome measures: Numerical rating scales (NRS) measuring loudness, duration, and annoyance, the tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), and psychoacoustical matches of tinnitus loudness and minimum masking levels (MML). Results: Thirty-eight participants were received either a 100-mW diode laser at 830-nm (TINI group; n=19) or placebo (sham group; n=19) irradiation through the tympanic membrane. No adverse events were reported during 2 weeks of 10-interventions (20 minutes/day, five days/week). The NRS measuring duration of tinnitus and psychoacoustical matches of tinnitus loudness significantly decreased over times in the TINI group (p<0.05). However, post-hoc analysis revealed that there was no significant decrease of tinnitus among different time points (baseline, during LLLT, immediately after LLLT, and two weeks after LLLT). There was no placebo effect in the Sham group. Participants who improved the duration by at least one point or improved the loudness matches by more than 5 dB SL two weeks after LLLT tended to have worse pure-tone thresholds. It may suggest that further study is needed in patients with worse pure-tone thresholds to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of LLLT. Conclusion: Although this preliminary result is insufficient to support the therapeutic efficacy of new laser device for chronic tinnitus, further study is needed in a large number of selected patients.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment for the selective destruction of cancerous and non-neoplastic cells that involves the simultaneous presence of light, oxygen and a light-activatable chemical known as a photosensitizer. Curcumin is one of the most extensively investigated phytochemicals with chemopreventive potential and antitumor effects. In this study, the effect of a combination of PDT and curcumin on apoptotic cell death in AMC-HN3 cells and the molecular mechanism underlying apoptosis was examined to confirm the interaction between photofrin-induced PDT and curcumin during combined mortality. The combination treatment with curcumin and PDT inhibited approximately 70% of the cell viability after PDT, whereas the PDT and curcumin only groups showed a 50 and 10% decrease in cell viability, respectively. In addition, the combination treatment increased the apoptotic events, such as nuclear fragmentation and nuclear condensation. This combination group showed an increase in ROS generation that was higher than that observed after each single treatment. Compared to the single agent treatments, the combination therapy induced the enhanced loss of ∆ψm. Furthermore, the cytosolic levels of cytochrome c were significantly elevated in the combination group. Caspases-9, -3 and PARP, which are apoptosis-related proteins induced by mitochondrial activation, were upregulated remarkably by the combination treatment. When co-treated with glutathione, a singlet oxygen quencher, the combination treatment-induced synergistic cytotoxic and apoptotic effects, enhanced the generation of ROS and suppressed the upregulation of caspase-3 and PARP. These results suggest that the combination modality with PDT and curcumin have a better treatment effect in vitro. The induction of mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis due to the increased generation of ROS may be involved in this combination treatment.

We investigated whether low-level light irradiation prior to transplantation of adipose-derived stromal cell (ASC) spheroids in an animal skin wound model stimulated angiogenesis and tissue regeneration to improve functional recovery of skin tissue. The spheroid, composed of hASCs, was irradiated with low-level light and expressed angiogenic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Immunochemical staining analysis revealed that the spheroid of the hASCs was CD31+, KDR+, and CD34+. On the other hand, monolayer-cultured hASCs were negative for these markers. PBS, human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells, and the ASC spheroid were transplanted into a wound bed in athymic mice to evaluate the therapeutic effects of the ASC spheroid in vivo. The ASC spheroid transplanted into the wound bed differentiated into endothelial cells and remained differentiated. The density of vascular formations increased as a result of the angiogenic factors released by the wound bed and enhanced tissue regeneration at the lesion site. These results indicate that the transplantation of the ASC spheroid significantly improved functional recovery relative to both ASC transplantation and PBS treatment. These findings suggest that transplantation of an ASC spheroid treated with low-level light may be an effective form of stem cell therapy for treatment of a wound bed.