Tinnitus UK (formerly the British Tinnitus Association) announced today that it has been awarded the Marie and Jack Shapiro Prize to a study that has looked at a possible genetic component of tinnitus.
The paper A genome-wide association study suggests that variation at the RCOR1 locus is associated with tinnitus, in UK Biobank The study, conducted by teams at King’s College London and the Ear Institute, University College London, using data from the UK Biobank, found a number of interesting candidate genes that may be linked to tinnitus, most notably the RCOR1 locus.
The award was presented by Tinnitus UK’s Professional Advisers’ Committee, who commented: “The authors of this study used the records of over 170,000 UK Biobank participants to identify a gene that they newly linked to the risk of developing tinnitus in connect. Importantly, the gene has not been linked to hearing loss, but does appear to have an independent link to tinnitus. Future research on this gene could help identify mechanisms of tinnitus or develop new treatments.”
Professor Frances Williams of King’s College London said: “The teams from Twin Research, King’s College London and the Ear Institute, University College London are delighted to have been awarded Tinnitus UK’s Shapiro Prize for our work together on the genetics of tinnitus.
Understanding the genetic factors underlying tinnitus is one of the approaches we can use to identify the important biological signaling pathways and use them to develop targeted therapies. The work was supported by a PhD grant from the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and by NIHR funding in support of the UCL Biomedical Research Centre.
We are indebted to the many volunteers at UK Biobank who so generously donated their time and samples and made research on large samples like this possible. We are building on this work by recruiting additional cohorts and hope to expand our understanding of the genetics of tinnitus in the near future.”
Deanne Thomas, Chief Executive of Tinnitus UK, said: “We are delighted to award the Marie and Jack Shapiro Prize to this useful study. The results of this project were very interesting and indicate that there are possible genetic risk factors for the development of tinnitus.
The study shows the potential benefits that a dedicated tinnitus biobank could bring, allowing us to better understand the condition and answer many other questions that remain unanswered due to chronic underinvestment.”
The Marie & Jack Shapiro Prize is awarded each year by Tinnitus UK to published research by a UK-based author that is “most likely to result in improved treatment or public awareness of tinnitus” published in the most recent calendar year. The award is named after the late Jack Shapiro and his wife Marie, both of whom played important roles in founding the charity and raising awareness of tinnitus.
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About Tinnitus UK
We strive for a world where no one suffers from tinnitus.
That’s why we offer free support to anyone who has tinnitus or cares for someone with tinnitus.
That’s why we’re committed to more investment in tinnitus research.
That’s why we connect the research community with people living with tinnitus to ensure those looking for new treatments and cures understand the impact tinnitus has on everyday life.
That’s why we work with healthcare professionals to make sure you’re getting the right information to treat your tinnitus.
One in seven adults in the UK will have tinnitus. Keep that in mind the next time you’re at the grocery store, on the bus, or on the street. Tinnitus affects 7.6 million people in the UK – 1.5 million of them suffer from severe tinnitus.
For everyone living with tinnitus, our message is clear – your fight is our cause.
Tinnitus UK, Ground Floor Unit 5, Acorn Business Park, Woodseats Close, Sheffield, United Kingdom S8 0TB. Tinnitus UK is a registered charity. Registered charity number 1011145.
