Current Research

The lab is federally funded to explore the immune mechanisms of hearing loss in chronic infectious ear disease but is undertaking large scale efforts to understand immune mechanisms in the ear, tumor biology and chronic bacterial infections and the application of nanotechnology to address these issues. There are three cores of the lab which cover 1) immune mediated mechanisms of hearing loss (including from infection, noise, tumors, autoimmune and immune mediated inner ear disease 2) chronic bacterial infection relapse, centered around mechanisms and treatments for bacterial persisters and 3) tumor biology and immunology (with a focus around skull base tumors eg. vestibular schwannoma). Our lab works across in vitro and in vivo models of disease to our clinic patients.

Selected Recent Publications

SPARKing academic technologies across the valley of death.
Nat Biotechnol. 2024 Feb
Kim JS, Kargotich S, Lee SH, Yajima R, Garcia AA, Ehrenkaufer G, Romeo M, Maria PS, Grimes KV, Mochly-Rosen D.

Salvage Microsurgery Following Failed Primary Radiosurgery in Sporadic Vestibular Schwannoma.
JAMA Otolaryngology-- Head and Neck Surgery, 2024 Feb
Marinelli, J. P., Herberg, H. A., Moore, L. S., Yancey, K. L., Kay-Rivest, E., Casale, G. G., Durham, A., Khandalavala, K. R., Lund-Johansen, M., Kosaraju, N., Lohse, C. M., Patel, N. S., Gurgel, R. K., Babu, S. C., Golfinos, J. G., Roland, J. T., Hunter, J. B., Kutz, J. W., Santa Maria, P. L., Link, M. J., Tveiten, Ø. V., Carlson, M. L.All Authors

PANEL 3: Otitis media animal models, cell culture, tissue regeneration & pathophysiology.
International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 2023 Jan
Kurabi, A., Dewan, K., Kerschner, J. E., Leichtle, A., Li, J. D., Santa Maria, P. L., Preciado, D.

Eradication of Bacterial Persister Cells By Leveraging Their Low Metabolic Activity Using Adenosine Triphosphate Coated Gold Nanoclusters.
Nano Today, 2023 Aug
Bekale, L. A., Sharma, D., Bacacao, B., Chen, J., Santa Maria, P. L.

Influence of CX3CR1 Deletion on Cochlear Hair Cell Survival and Macrophage Expression in Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media.
Otology and Neurotology, 2023 Jul
Schiel, V., Xia, A., Santa Maria, P. L

Impact of Cochlear Dose on Hearing Preservation Following Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Treatment of Vestibular Schwannomas: A Multi-center Study.
World Neurosurgery, 2023 Oct
Chang, S. D., Muacevic, A., Klein, A. L., Sherman, J. H., Romanelli, P., Santa Maria, P. L., Fuerweger, C., Bossi Zanetti, I., Beltramo, G., Vaisbush, Y., Tran, E., Feng, A., Teng, H., Meola, A., Gibbs, I., Tolisano, A. M., Kutz, J. W., Wardak, Z., Nedzi, L. A., Hong, R., MacRae, D., Sohal, P., Kapoor, E., Sabet-Rasekh, P., Maghami, S., Moncada, P. X., Zaleski-King, A., Amdur, R., Monfared, A.All Authors

Bio-Inspired Muco-Adhesive Polymers for Drug Delivery Applications.
Polymers, Dec 2022
Jawadi, Z., Yang, C., Haidar, Z. S., Santa Maria, P. L., Massa, S.

Povidone-Iodine Fails to Eradicate Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media and Demonstrates Ototoxic Risk in Mice.
Otology and Neurotology, 2022 Dec
Kaufman, A. C., Bacacao, B. S., Berkay, B., Sharma, D., Mishra, A., O'Toole, G. A., Saunders, J. E., Xia, A., Bekale, L. A., Santa Maria, P. L.

New Medical Device and Therapeutic Approvals in Otolaryngology: State of the Art Review of 2021.
OTO open, 2022 Sept
Choi, A. M., Brenner, M. J., Gorelik, D., Erbele, I. D., Crowson, M. G., Kadkade, P., Takashima, M., Santa Maria, P. L., Hong, R. S., Rose, A. S., Ostrander, B. T., Rabbani, C. C., Morrison, R. J., Weissbrod, P. A., Tate, A. D., Kain, J. J., Lina, I. A., Shaffer, S. R., Ahmed, O. G.

Chronic suppurative otitis media causes macrophage-associated sensorineural hearing loss.
Journal of Neuroinflammation, 2022 Sept
Xia, A., Thai, A., Cao, Z., Chen, X., Chen, J., Bacacao, B., Bekale, L. A., Schiel, V., Bollyky, P. L., Maria, P. L.

Anti-persister and Anti-biofilm Activity of Self-Assembled Antimicrobial Peptoid Ellipsoidal Micelles.
ACS Infectious Diseases, 2022 Sept
Lin, J. S., Bekale, L. A., Molchanova, N., Nielsen, J. E., Wright, M., Bacacao, B., Diamond, G., Jenssen, H., Santa Maria, P. L., Barron, A. E.

Gold nanocluster adjuvant enables the eradication of persister cells by antibiotics and abolishes the emergence of resistance.
Nanoscale, 2022 Jul
Cao, Z., Chen, X., Chen, J., Xia, A., Bacacao, B., Tran, J., Sharma, D., Bekale, L. A., Santa Maria, P. L

Minimally invasive trans-tympanic eustachian tube occlusion animal model.
International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 2022 Feb
Kouhi, A., Xia, A., Khomtchouk, K., Santa Maria, P. L.

New Medical Device and Therapeutic Approvals in Otolaryngology: State of the Art Review 2020.
OTO open, 2021, Oct-Dec
Brenner, M. J., Shenson, J. A., Rose, A. S., Valdez, T. A., Takashima, M., Ahmed, O. G., Weissbrod, P. A., Hong, R. S., Djalilian, H., Wolf, J. S., Morrison, R. J., Santa Maria, P. L., Erbele, I. D.

Topical Therapy Failure in Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media is Due to Persister Cells in Biofilms.
Otology and Neurotology, 2021 July
Santa Maria, P. L., Kaufman, A. C., Bacacao, B., Thai, A., Chen, X., Xia, A., Cao, Z., Fouad, A., Bekale, L. A.

Middle Cranial Fossa Approach to Repair Tegmen Dehiscence Using Self-setting Calcium Phosphate Cement: A Retrospective Case Review.
Otology and Neurotology, 2021 June
Bulsara, V. M., Kim, G. S., Fouad, A. M., Bulsara, M. K., Santa Maria, P. L.

Antimicrobial Gold Nanoclusters Eradicate Escherichia coli Biofilms and Are Nontoxic by Oral Administration.
ACS Applied Bio Materials, 2020 August
Cao, Z., Chen, J., Tran, J., Chen, X., Bacacao, B., Bekale, L. A., Santa Maria, P. L.

Long-Term Hearing Outcomes Following Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Vestibular Schwannoma Patients-A Retrospective Cohort Study
Neurosurgery, 2019 Oct
Santa Maria, P. L., Shi, Y., Gurgel, R. K., Corrales, C., Soltys, S. G., Santa Maria, C., Murray, K., Chang, S. D., Blevins, N. H., Gibbs, I. C., Jackler, R. K.

Single Administration of a Sustained-Release Formulation of KB-R7785 Inhibits Tympanic Membrane Regeneration in an Animal Model
Journal of International Advanced Otology, 2016 Dec
Maria, P. L., Maria, C. S., Kim, S., Yang, Y. P.

A new theory on the pathogenesis of acquired cholesteatoma: Mucosal traction.
Laryngoscope, 2015 Aug
Jackler, R. K., Santa Maria, P. L., Varsak, Y. K., Nguyen, A., Blevins, N. H.

Heparin Binding Epidermal Growth Factor-Like Growth Factor Heals Chronic Tympanic Membrane Perforations With Advantage Over Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 and Epidermal Growth Factor in an Animal Model.
Otology and Neurotology, 2015 Aug
Santa Maria, P. L., Weierich, K., Kim, S., Yang, Y. P.

Heparin Binding-Epidermal Growth Factor-Like Growth Factor for the Regeneration of Chronic Tympanic Membrane Perforations in Mice
Tissue Engineering Part A, 2015 May
Maria, P. L., Kim, S., Varsak, Y. K., Yang, Y. P.

Hearing Preservation Surgery for Cochlear Implantation: A Meta-analysis
Otology and Neurotology, 2014 Dec
Maria, P. L., Gluth, M. B., Yuan, Y., Atlas, M. D., Blevins, N. H.

Sigmoid sinus dehiscence resurfacing as treatment for pulsatile tinnitus.
The Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 2013
Santa Maria, P. L.

Hearing Preservation Surgery for Cochlear Implantation-Hearing and Quality of Life After 2 Years
Otology and Neurotology, 2013 April
Maria, P. L., Domville-Lewis, C., Sucher, C. M., Chester-Browne, R., Atlas, M. D.

Tympanic Membrane Wound Healing in Rats Assessed by Transcriptome Profiling
Laryngoscope, 2011 Oct
Santa Maria, P. L., Redmond, S. L., McInnes, R. L., Atlas, M. D., Ghassemifar, R.