Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is increasingly common, with over 380,000 new cases annually. Despite its high incidence (6.0 per 100,000 males; 2.3 per 100,000 females) and poor prognosis, no molecular biomarkers exist for early detection. Non-invasive sampling could improve diagnosis and patient outcomes. This pilot study used RNA sequencing to identify significantly upregulated mRNA targets in swab samples from oral and oropharyngeal SCC patients and healthy probands. After filtering, four potential biomarkers were further validated in 79 samples using RT-qPCR. CombiROC analysis assessed diagnostic performance. Additional RT-qPCR on tumour and normal tissues and fluorescence staining in FFPE tumour sections evaluated expression at mRNA and protein levels. A panel of three markers (c-JUN, SFN, HSP90AB1) showed high diagnostic accuracy: 92.3% specificity, 92.3% sensitivity, and AUC of 0.91. Fluorescence staining confirmed significantly higher protein expression in tumour tissues, supporting RNA findings. The panel showed stronger diagnostic performance in men than in women. This study presents a promising non-invasive biomarker panel for oral and oropharyngeal SCC detection. Further validation in larger cohorts is needed to confirm diagnostic value and clarify sex specificity. The approach is adaptable to other tumour types and sample materials, supporting molecular diagnostics.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly malignant disease with high death rates that have remained substantially unaltered for decades. Therefore, new treatment approaches are urgently needed. Human papillomavirus-negative tumors harbor areas of terminally differentiated tissue that are characterized by cornification. Dissecting this intrinsic ability of HNSCC cells to irreversibly differentiate into non-malignant cells may have tumor-targeting potential. We modeled the cornification of HNSCC cells in a primary spheroid model and analyzed the mechanisms underlying differentiation by ATAC-seq and RNA-seq. Results were verified by immunofluorescence using human HNSCC tissue of distinct anatomical locations. HNSCC cell differentiation was accompanied by cell adhesion, proliferation stop, diminished tumor-initiating potential in immunodeficient mice, and activation of a wound-healing-associated signaling program. Small promoter accessibility increased despite overall chromatin closure. Differentiating cells upregulated KRT17 and cornification markers. Although KRT17 represents a basal stem cell marker in normal mucosa, we confirm KRT17 to represent an early differentiation marker in HNSCC tissue. Cornification was frequently found surrounding necrotic areas in human tumors, indicating an involvement of pro-inflammatory stimuli. Indeed, inflammatory mediators activated the differentiation program in primary HNSCC cells. In HNSCC tissue, distinct cell differentiation states were found to create a common tissue architecture in normal mucosa and HNSCCs. Our data demonstrate a loss of cell malignancy upon faithful HNSCC cell differentiation, indicating that targeted differentiation approaches may be therapeutically valuable. Moreover, we describe KRT17 to be a candidate biomarker for HNSCC cell differentiation and early tumor detection.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is a group of related neoplasms, which belong to Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and hold the sixteenth position in malignancy worldwide. Most oral malignancies are diagnosed in the late stage, resulting in a worse prognosis rate for oral cancer patients. Therefore, early diagnosis helps to prevent disease complications. Precise and simple diagnostic as well as easy transferable procedures to everyday clinical practice are of great importance to this field. In the light of emerging diagnostic methods molecular cancer biomarkers are measurable nucleic acids and proteins, that can be detected in patient samples and help to identify cancer. Until December 2023 our study includes a total of n=116 patients. These are divided into four different groups. A control group with healthy people, a high-risk group consisting of patients with high tobacco/alcohol consumption, patients with acute cancer and another control group with cancer patients after treatment. All SCC that can be reached in the oral region with mouthwashes/swabs are included in this study, as well as HPV positive and HPV negative cancer types. We have established two methods to use RNA of oral samples for analysis on transcriptomic level. In addition to that, we perform mass spectrometry with the blood serum for analysis on protein level. First biomarkers with a tendency of higher expression in the tumor group, compared to the control group were found. This study intends to highlight the opportunities of molecular biomarkers and demonstrates a dual-omics approach to identify new diagnostic markers for OSCC in non-invasive material. This could be important, not only for diagnosis, but also for control after tumor therapy.

In cochlear implant recipients, the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans is reduced by image artifacts. The static magnetic field of a 3.0T scanner is associated with the risk of implant demagnetization. The development of rotatable implant magnets aimed to support the advancement of 3.0T MRI scanners and eliminate the risk of demagnetization of cochlear implant magnets. This study aimed to compare the image artifacts caused by first-t and second-generation rotatable cochlear implant magnets in 3.0T MRI. Three Tesla MRI T2W TSE sequences were performed on 3 subjects with first- and second-generation rotatable cochlear implant magnets. The cochlear implant was fixed to the head at the implantation position by a swim cap. The size of the image artifact was determined in the transverse plane. Intraindividual comparative analyses showed that within the margin of combined uncertainty of 5 mm at a resolution of 2 mm, the cochlear implant-induced image artifacts in all subjects showed for both (first- and second-generation rotatable cochlear implant magnets), the same maximum image artifact dimension of 125 mm. We could show that no difference in image artifact size was detected within the margin of error determined by resolution, localized induced shift of the scan, and reproducibility of the tilt angle of the head relative to the chest in a living subject. Assumed improved magnet attachment can be reached without compromising of the magnet artifact size.

Molecular diagnostics is an increasingly important clinical tool, especially in routine sampling. We evaluated two non-invasive methods (oral swabs and mouthwashes) for sampling nucleic acids from the oral/pharyngeal area. We created a workflow from sample collection (n = 59) to RT-qPCR based analysis. The samples were further characterized in terms of their cellular composition as well as the purity, degradation and microbial content of the derived DNA/RNA. We determined the optimal housekeeping genes applicable for these types of samples. The cellular composition indicated that mouthwashes contained more immune cells and bacteria. Even though the protocol was not specifically optimized to extract bacterial RNA it was possible to derive microbial RNA, from both sampling methods. Optimizing the protocol allowed us to generate stable quantities of DNA/RNA. DNA/RNA purity parameters were not significantly different between the two sampling methods. Even though integrity analysis demonstrated a high level of degradation of RNA, corresponding parameters confirmed their sequencing potential. RT-qPCR analysis determined TATA-Box Binding Protein as the most favorable housekeeping gene. In summary, we have developed a robust method suitable for multiple downstream diagnostic techniques. This protocol can be used as a foundation for further research endeavors focusing on developing molecular diagnostics for the oropharyngeal cavity.

Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the 6th most common tumor disease worldwide with a death rate of about 50%. As mortality and morbidity of affected patients were not substantially improved in recent decades, new treatment options are urgently needed. HNSCCs that are negative for the human papillomavirus are characterized by areas of differentiated keratinized tissue. Dissecting the mechanisms regulating this terminal differentiation of HNSCC cells may unravel targets with high potential for anti-tumor therapy. Using primary tumor-initiating spheroid cells, we established a model of HNSCC cell differentiation by cornification and observed a deprivation of cell malignancy leading to the adhesion of spheroid cells, loss of single-cell cloning capacity, and diminished tumor-initiating potential in immunodeficient mice. Analysis of our differentiation model employing ATAC-seq, RNA-seq, and proteomics showed an increased accessibility of small promoter regions despite overall genome closure, activation of a wound healing-associated signaling program, and upregulation of the stress keratin 17 (KRT17) as well as cornification markers including SPRR3. These results suggest that the differentiation of HNSCC cells resembles the differentiation process in other stem cell-maintained tissue systems. Multi-marker immunofluorescence analysis of human tissue revealed a reversion of the role of KRT17 from a basal stem-cell marker in normal mucosa to an early differentiation marker in HNSCC tissue and dysplastic mucosa preceding cornification. This proposes KRT17 as potential biomarker for HNSCC prevention screening. Human tissue analysis identified distinct cell differentiation states shared between HNSCC tissue and normal mucosa that were detected in higher and lower differentiated tumor tissue of distinct anatomical sub-locations. Cornification was observed to be induced at the interface between vital tumor tissue and necrotic, immune-infiltrated areas in human HNSCCs, suggesting a promoting influence of pro-inflammatory stimuli on cell differentiation. Treatment of tumor spheroids with inflammatory mediators resulted in cell attachment and cornification, indicating a potential strategy to stop the self-renewal of HNSCC cells. Our study thus reveals that the targeted differentiation of HNSCC tumor-initiating cells could be used as a future therapy approach against squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck and other tissues. Citation Format: Felix Oppel, Sarah Gendreizig, Laura Martinez-Ruiz, Javier Florido, Alba López-Rodríguez, Harkiren Pabla, Lakshna Loganathan, Leonie Hose, Philipp Kühnel, Pascal Schmidt, Matthias Schürmann, Judith M. Neumann, Flavian Viyof Ful, Lars Uwe Scholtz, Ingo Todt, Ligum Dina, Frank Brasch, Niehaus Karsten, Germaine Escames, Tobias Busche, Jörn Kalinowski, Peter Goon, Holger Sudhoff. Triggering head and neck cancer cell cornification leads to mucosa-like differentiation, chromatin remodeling, and loss of cell malignancy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 254.

Das orale Plattenepithelkarzinom ist eine Gruppe verwandter Neoplasien, die zu den Kopf-Hals Tumoren gehören und weltweit an sechzehnter Stelle der malignen Erkrankungen stehen. Die meisten bösartigen Erkrankungen der Mundhöhle werden erst im Spätstadium diagnostiziert, was zu einer schlechteren Prognose führt. Eine frühzeitige Diagnose hilft daher, Komplikationen der Krankheit zu verhindern. Präzise und diagnostisch einfache sowie leicht auf den klinischen Alltag übertragbare Verfahren sind in diesem Bereich von großer Bedeutung. Vor dem Hintergrund der neuen Diagnosemethoden sind molekulare Biomarker messbare Nukleinsäuren und Proteine, die in Patientenproben nachgewiesen werden können und helfen, Krebs zu identifizieren. Bis Dezember 2023 umfasst unsere Studie insgesamt n=116 Patienten. Diese werden in vier verschiedene Gruppen aufgeteilt. Eine Kontrollgruppe mit gesunden Menschen, eine Hochrisikogruppe, bestehend aus Patienten mit hohem Tabak-/Alkoholkonsum, Patienten mit akutem Krebs und eine weitere Kontrollgruppe mit Krebspatienten nach der Behandlung. Alle Lokalisationen, die mit Mundspülungen/Abstrichen erreicht werden können, werden in diese Studie einbezogen (HPV positiv und negativ). Wir haben zwei Methoden zur Verwendung von RNA aus oralen Proben für Transkriptomanalysen entwickelt. Darüber hinaus führen wir mit dem Blutserum der Patienten Proteinanalysen durch. Es wurden erste Biomarker mit einer tendenziell höheren Expression in der Tumorgruppe vergleichend zur Kontrollgruppe gefunden. Diese Studie soll die Möglichkeiten molekularer Biomarker aufzeigen und demonstriert einen dual-omics Ansatz zur Ermittlung neuer diagnostischer Krebs-Biomarker. Dies könnte nicht nur für die Diagnose, sondern auch für die Kontrolle nach einer Tumortherapie wichtig sein.

Porokeratosis ptychotropica (PP) is a rare and unusual variant of porokeratosis. There is a dearth of information on the natural history, epidemiology, and optimal treatment options. This study aimed to characterize the worldwide distribution, epidemiology, clinical features, and treatments attempted for all reported cases of porokeratosis ptychotropica. A total of 59 cases of porokeratosis ptychotropica have been reported, with most cases originating from the United States. The median age of patients affected with porokeratosis ptychotropica was 49 years. The most involved body locations are the buttocks and gluteal cleft. The risk of malignant transformation in porokeratosis ptychotropica is approximately 1.7% but there is significant bias in estimating rare occurrences in rare diseases. In conclusion, PP is an important but under-recognized variant of porokeratosis, with a likely low risk of malignant transformation. The best available treatment modality remains uncertain; however, the use of topical lovastatin/cholesterol cream appears promising. Long-term surveillance appears prudent for porokeratosis ptychotropica due to a risk of cancerization.

Abstract Background New concepts for a more effective anti-cancer therapy are urgently needed. Experimental flaws represent a major counter player of this development and lead to inaccurate and unreproducible data as well as unsuccessful translation of research approaches into clinics. In a previous study we have created epithelial cell cultures from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissue. Methods We characterize primary cell populations isolated from human papillomavirus positive HNSCC tissue for their marker expression by RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence staining. Their sensitivity to MDM2-inhibition was measured using cell viability assays. Results Primary HNSCC cell cultures showed the delayed formation of spheroids at higher passages. These spheroids mimicked the morphology and growth characteristics of other established HNSCC spheroid models. However, expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers could not be detected in these cells despite the presence of the HNSCC stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1. Instead, strong expression of B- and T-lymphocytes markers was observed. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a heterogeneous mixture of CD3 + /CD25 + T-lymphocytes and CD19 + B-lymphocytes at a ratio of 4:1 at passage 5 and transformed lymphocytes at late passages (≥ passage 12) with CD45 + CD19 + CD20 + , of which around 10 to 20% were CD3 + CD25 + CD56 + . Interestingly, the whole population was FOXP3-positive indicative of regulatory B-cells (Bregs). Expression of transcripts specific for the Epstein-Barr-virus (EBV) was detected to increase in these spheroid cells along late passages, and this population was vulnerable to MDM2 inhibition. HPV + HNSCC cells but not EBV + lymphocytes were detected to engraft into immunodeficient mice. Conclusions In this study we present a primary cell culture of EBV-infected tumor-infiltrating B-lymphocytes, which could be used to study the role of these cells in tumor biology in future research projects. Moreover, by describing the detailed characteristics of these cells, we aim to caution other researchers in the HNSCC field to test for EBV-infected lymphocyte contaminations in primary cell cultures ahead of further experiments. Especially researchers who are interested in TIL-based adopted immunotherapy should exclude these cells in their primary tumor models, e.g. by MDM2-inhibitor treatment. BI-12-derived xenograft tumors represent a suitable model for in vivo targeting studies.

Einleitung Bei Patient*innen mit Morbus Menière (MM) ist bei Auftreten einer funktionellen Taubheit die Cochlea Implantation (CI) das Standardvorgehen. Zusätzlich ist bei diesen Patient*innen das Monitoring von Schwindelsymptomen von großer Wichtigkeit. Das pathophysiologische Pendant des MM ist der Endolymphatische Hydrops (ELH). Dieser kann mit der Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) eingeschätzt werden. MM kommt bei 10-33 % der betroffenen Patient*innen bilateral vor, dadurch kommt er als Ursache für Schwindel sowohl postoperativ anhaltend als auch als neues Symptom infrage. Fortschritte bei den Implantatmagneten und Erkenntnisse bei den MRT-Sequenzen bieten die Möglichkeit die Wertigkeit der MRT bei Cochlea-Implantaten zu evaluieren. Die Bildgebung des ELH mittels MRT nach Durchführung der Versorgung mit einem CI zu bewerten, war das Bestreben dieser Untersuchung.

Introduction In patients with Meniere's disease (MM), cochlear implantation (CI) is the standard procedure when functional deafness occurs. In addition, monitoring vertigo symptoms is of great importance in these patients. The pathophysiological counterpart of MM is endolymphatic hydrops (ELH). This can be assessed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MM appears in 10-33 % of affected patients bilaterally, making it a possible cause of dizziness both postoperatively persistent and as a new symptom. Advances in implant magnets and progression in MRI sequences offer the opportunity to assess the value of MRI in cochlear implantees. To evaluate the imaging of the ELH by MRI after CI was the aim of this study.

BackgroundIntralabyrinthine schwannoma (ILS) is a rare, mostly unilateral disease that causes deafness. Different intralabyrinthine sites of ILS can occur and can be removed by different surgical approaches. Cochlear ILSs are frequently partially hidden by the modiolus and therefore difficult to extirpate. Surgical techniques can be traumatic, offer limited surgical control during removal, and are time-consuming. The aim of this present study was to demonstrate the performance and handling of a newly developed device for the removal of cochlear intralabyrinthine schwannoma in the temporal bone.MethodsIn a temporal bone study with a prepared posterior tympanotomy, an enlarged round window approach, and additional second turn access, a stiffened device with silicone rings was inserted and extracted gradually from the second turn access until the rings were visible in the second turn access.ResultsInsertion and extraction of the second cochlear access were easily performed. Pulling and pushing the silicone rings through the modiolus and hidden parts of the basal turn was possible and worked like a pipe cleaner.ConclusionThis newly developed tissue removal device in combination with the proposed surgical handling offers a new and less traumatic way to remove cochlear ILS.

Introduction: Cochlear implantation in patients with Ménière’s disease (MD) is the treatment of choice in cases of functional deafness. Additional vertigo control is of central importance in this group of patients. Endolymphatic hydrops (ELH) is the pathophysiological correlate of MD and can be evaluated by magnet resonance imaging (MRI). Bilateral MD occurs in 10–33% and can be the reason for a postoperative persisting or newly occurring vertigo in this group. Recent developments in the field of implant magnets and experience in MRI sequences allow the diagnostic performance of MRI in cochlear implantees to be evaluated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of MRI as a visual diagnostic tool for endolymphatic hydrops in cochlear implantees. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective study including three cochlear implantees (age: 61–76 years, one female, two male) suffering from MD who, postoperatively, had a recurrence of vertigo with Ménière’s-like symptoms. An MRI was performed for the evaluation of ELH (ELH-MRI). MRI observation was performed by a 4 h iv. delayed Gad 3 D Flair sequence. Results: In all cases, the ipsilateral implant magnet artifact covered the vestibulum, the semicircular canals and the cochlea. The contralateral vestibulum, the semicircular canal and the cochlea were fully observable, and a classification of the ELH-MRI could be performed. Conclusion: ELH-MRI scanning allows for the detection of contralateral labyrinthine endolymphatic hydrops and is a tool for the postoperative evaluation of vertigo in cochlear implantees.

Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis(RRP) is a rare disease with severe morbidity. Treatment is surgical. Prevailing viewpoint is that prophylactic HPV vaccines do not have therapeutic benefit due to their modus operandi. Studies on HPV vaccination alongside surgery were meta-analysed to test effect on burden of disease. Databases were accessed Nov and Dec 2021 [PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and Web of Science]. Main outcome measured was: Mean paired differences in the number of surgeries or recurrences per month. Analyses was performed using: Random effect maximal likelihood estimation model using the Stata module Mataan(StataCorp. 2019. Stata Statistical Software: Release 16. College Station, TX:StataCorp LLC.) Our results found n = 38 patients, suitable for syntheses with one previous meta-analyses (4 published, 2 unpublished studies) n = 63, total of n = 101 patients. Analyses rendered an overall reduction of 0.123 recurrences or surgeries per month (95% confidence interval [0.064, 0.183]). Our meta-analyses concludes that HPV vaccine is a beneficial adjunct therapy alongside surgery

Supplementary Data from p53 Pathway Inactivation Drives SMARCB1-deficient p53-wildtype Epithelioid Sarcoma Onset Indicating Therapeutic Vulnerability Through MDM2 Inhibition

Head and neck cancers are unique in so far that two major oncogenic viruses, Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and Human papillomavirus (HPV) infect adjacent anatomy and cause nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cancers, respectively. Dominant recognized carcinogens are alcohol and tobacco but some head and neck cancers have been found to have mixed carcinogens (including betel leaf, areca nuts, slaked lime, viruses, etc.) involved in their oncogenesis and conversely, groups of patients with unknown or less dominant carcinogens involved in their development. These cancers may have had viral involvement in the past but then lost most of their viral nucleic acids (be they DNA and/or RNA) below a detection threshold, thus rendering them virus‐negative. Some of these virus‐negative tumors appear to have mutagenic signatures associated with virus‐positive cancers, for example, from the APOBEC defense mechanism which is known to mutate viral nucleic acids as well as cause collateral damage to host DNA, with subsequent development of strongly viral prejudiced mutational signatures. These mechanisms are likely to be less efficient at oncogenesis than traditional EBV and HPV oncogenes directly driving mutagenesis, thus accounting for the smaller frequencies of these cancers found. More profound investigations of these unusual tumors are warranted to dissect out these mechanistic pathways.

Middle ear cholesteatoma (MEC), is a destructive, and locally invasive lesion in the middle ear driven by inflammation with an annual incidence of 10 per 100,000. Surgical extraction/excision remains the only treatment strategy available and recurrence is high (up to 40%), therefore developing the first pharmaceutical treatments for MEC is desperately required. This review was targeted at connecting the dysregulated inflammatory network of MEC to pathogenesis and identification of pharmaceutical targets. We summarized the numerous basic research endeavors undertaken over the last 30+ years to identify the key targets in the dysregulated inflammatory pathways and judged the level of evidence for a given target if it was generated by in vitro, in vivo or clinical experiments. MEC pathogenesis was found to be connected to cytokines characteristic for Th1, Th17 and M1 cells. In addition, we found that the inflammation created damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which further promoted inflammation. Similar positive feedback loops have already been described for other Th1/Th17 driven inflammatory diseases (arthritis, Crohn's disease or multiple sclerosis). A wide-ranging search for molecular targeted therapies (MTT) led to the discovery of over a hundred clinically approved drugs already applied in precision medicine. Based on exclusion criteria designed to enable fast translation as well as efficacy, we condensed the numerous MTTs down to 13 top drugs. The review should serve as groundwork for the primary goal, which is to provide potential pharmaceutical therapies to MEC patients for the first time in history.

Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly malignant disease with a mortality rate of about 50%. It represents the sixth most common type of malignant tumor in the world. Risk factors include tobacco and alcohol usage and infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV-negative HNSCCs frequently display areas of cornification evident by keratin pearls in the tumor tissue. Cornification represents a natural differentiation path of keratinocytes in the normal epidermis and oral mucosa. To investigate the mechanisms of HNSCC cell differentiation we have established spheroid cell cultures from patient-derived HNSCC and parotid gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) tissue that grow in suspension under serum-free conditions. The use of a specific differentiation medium induced striking adhesion, loss of proliferation, and differentiation in tumor cells. Spheroid cells grew as single cell clones under serum-free conditions with a cloning efficiency of 40-60%, which was fully diminished under differentiating conditions. HNSCC cells cornified as indicated by the formation of lamellar bodies in the cytoplasm of adherent cells and an upregulation of cornification markers SPRR3 and involucrin. ACC cells upregulated parotid gland differentiation markers including α-amylase. RNA-seq analysis in HNSCC cells confirmed an upregulation of signaling pathways associated with cornification and epithelial cell differentiation. Conversely, pathways regulating the three-dimensional organization of the genome were downregulated upon differentiation. This was accompanied by the formation of ATRX-positive heterochromatin foci in the nucleus of differentiated ACC and HNSCC cells resembling those previously described to arise during therapy-induced senescence. Moreover, gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis revealed a lack of essential amino acids including leucine to be implicated in the differentiation process. Altogether, our spheroid model of HNSCC and ACC cells is suitable to analyze the mechanisms underlying tumor cell differentiation and might lead to new therapeutic approaches that can drive long-term repopulating HNSCC and ACC cells into differentiation. Citation Format: Felix Oppel, Senyao Shao, Sarah Gendreizig, Philipp Kühnel, Vivien Przybycin, Carsten Hain, Pascal Schmidt, Matthias Schürmann, Peter Goon, Karsten Niehaus, Jörn Kalinowski, Holger Sudhoff. Head and neck cancer cells can differentiate and resemble their tissue of origin [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 111.

Introduction: The approval process for MRI safety of implants includes physical observations and an experimental evaluation in artificial settings to simulate the in vivo effect. This contains the observation of temperature changes and artificial current generation by the magnetic field. From these findings, the safety of an implant and its effect on the patient can be estimated. MRI safety is based on an in vivo evaluation of adverse events after the approval process, but an actual analysis of the effect on different tissues is not followed. The effect of MRI scanning in cochlea implantees on their residual hearing as the correlate of the hair cell function is so far unknown, therefore the aim of the present study was to observe the effect of 3 T MRI on the residual hearing of cochlea implantees. Material and Methods: In this prospective study, we performed a 3 T MRI T2 2D MS Drive sequence in eight cochlea-implanted ears. Before and after the MRI scan, a bone conduction pure tone audiogram (BC PTA) was performed. All cochlea implantees had a pre-scanning threshold of low frequency residual hearing between 20 dB and 65 dB. Results: Low frequency mean residual hearing was not affected by the 3 T T2 2D MS Drive sequence. We observed a pre-scanning threshold at 250 Hz of 42.9 (SD 3.9) dB and for 500 Hz 57.1 (SD 6.4) dB. Post-scanning BC PTA was for 250 Hz 42.1 (SD 3.9) dB and for 500 Hz 57.1 (SD 5.7) dB. Conclusion: 3 T MRI scanning has no significant functional effect on the hair cells in cochlea implantees in low frequencies with a T2 2D MS Drive sequence.