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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.

Sec. Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disorders : Autoimmune Disorders

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1639916

Immunological Mechanisms in Meniere's Disease

Provisionally accepted
  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Meniere's disease (MD) is a chronic, relapsing inner ear disorder characterized by episodes of vertigo, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. Although its etiology has long remained elusive, accumulating evidence implicates immune dysregulation as a central contributor to disease pathogenesis, particularly in patients who do not respond to standard therapies. This review synthesizes current insights into the immunopathological mechanisms underlying MD, focusing on the roles of both innate and adaptive immune cells-including macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells-in promoting inflammation, endolymphatic hydrops, and sensory dysfunction. We examine the contribution of these immune cells to tissue damage, along with the roles of cytokine signaling and immune complex deposition. Emerging immunotherapies, including corticosteroids, biologics, and inflammasome inhibitors, are evaluated for their therapeutic potential. The review also highlights promising directions in precision medicine, such as immune profiling, biomarker discovery, and stratified clinical trials aimed at personalizing treatment. By integrating recent immunological advances with clinical management strategies, we underscore the potential of immune guided approaches to transform the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care of patients with MD.

Keywords: meniere's disease (MD), Immune dysregulation, Endolymphatic Hydrops, Inner ear disorders, innate immunity, Adaptive Immunity, Immunotherapy, precision medicine

Received: 03 Jun 2025; Accepted: 07 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Yuan, Xia and Santa Maria. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Vincent Yuan, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, United States
Peter Santa Maria, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, United States

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.