Bioengineering Seminar Series - Dr. Adele Moatti

Dr. Adele Moatti, Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, will present "Rebuilding the Translational Pipeline for Inner Ear Therapies."

Abstract

A major barrier in inner ear therapeutics is not a single limitation, but a broken pipeline, where clinically relevant models, targeting strategies, and delivery mechanisms fail to align. Here, we rebuild this pipeline by integrating complementary translational advances. We establish a porcine model of cochlear synaptopathy that captures key features of human pathology, enabling meaningful evaluation of therapeutic interventions. In parallel, we generate a comprehensive map of AAV expression in the pig inner ear, providing a critical bridge between mouse studies and clinically relevant gene therapy design. We further demonstrate that extracellular vesicles (EVs) can be harnessed to enhance safe local AAV delivery, improving transduction efficiency while reducing immune responses. Finally, we uncover an unexpected biological lever of drug delivery: sensory-driven formulation effects. We show that modulation of taste receptor signaling can extend drug retention within the inner ear, revealing a new axis for therapeutic control. Together, these advances shift the paradigm from isolated solutions to an integrated, translatable framework for inner ear gene and drug therapies.