This preclinical study tested Dihexa, a chemically stable HGF mimetic, for its ability to protect sensory hair cells from damage caused by aminoglycoside antibiotics, using the larval zebrafish lateral line as a model for mammalian inner ear hair cells. A 1 micromolar concentration gave optimal protection against both neomycin and gentamicin, and protection was attenuated when an HGF antagonist was co-administered, supporting HGF pathway activation as the mechanism. Dihexa did not reduce antibiotic entry into the cells, indicating the effect is intracellular rather than a blocking action. This is animal model evidence and does not establish efficacy or safety in human populations.
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Dihexa at 1µM protected hair cells from aminoglycoside damage in zebrafish via HGF pathway; intracellular mechanism warrants monitoring in antibiotic-exposed patients.