A supplement that scientists describe as the precursor to vitamin B3 may help prevent and treat noise-induced hearing loss, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Gladstone Institutes have found. In new research published Tuesday in the journal Cell Metabolism, a chemical called nicotinamide riboside (NR) successfully prevented short- and long-term hearing loss in mice when administered before and after noise exposure. The researchers pointed out that their findings may lead to better treatments in the future, as current antidotes for inner-ear disorders— including hearing loss— are limited. “This discovery identifies a unique pathway and a potential drug therapy to treat noise-induced hearing loss,” study author Kevin Brown, associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, said in a news release.

During the animal trial, researchers used NR to protect the nerves that innervate the cochlea. The cochlea transmits sound information through these nerves to the spiral ganglion, which sends those messages to the brain. Exposure to loud noises damages the synapses connecting the nerves and the hair cells in the cochlea, causing noise-induced hearing loss. NR proved successful at protecting these synaptic connections from damage.

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