The restoration of olfactory function in people who have lost it is a problem that raises several challenges from the scientific and technological points of view. Our project aims to provide the very first steps towards radically new technology to achieve this.
Odors are sources of both pleasure and social bonding, they contribute to our emotional well-being with reduced or absent olfaction being linked to depression. Olfactory loss is associated with significant psychological distress, with sufferers making comments such as: “handicapped for life”, “now I try to smell absolutely everything to the point of going mad. Subtle smells like a well-aired room, clean laundry, I miss terribly”, “reduced sexual desire” and “obsessed with not smelling bad”. Olfactory deficits also impair our relationship with food; our primeval sense of smell distinguishes between edible and inedible foods, has synergy with taste and is integral to gustatory pleasure. The loss of the sense of smell causes serious changes in appetite and diet “I don’t know what to eat anymore. I don’t fancy anything”, “I eat more fatty food, more salt, more sugar, to get some taste” with consequences for weight gain, weight loss and an overall reduction in general health. Loss of smell also increases the risk of household accidents (detection of noxious gases and smoke) which can also cause psychological distress: “not smelling when a saucepan burns is dangerous”, “I worry that I won’t smell smoke in case of fire”.
It is estimated that partial or total loss of smell arising from a variety of causes: trauma; congenital deficits; age; viral infection and other pathologies; concerns about 20% of the population. This represents several million people in Europe, and given that olfactory loss is a frequent symptom of COVID-19 this prevalence may increase. The economic and social costs caused by this sensory impairment are therefore very high. Restoring olfaction –completely or even partially –is important for society, but a difficult challenge for science: a technological device capable of restoring odorant detection and recognition has yet to be developed.
Restoration of olfaction has been attempted through medication, surgery, and more recently sensory training. However, although solutions exist, they only work for a limited number of patients—most continue to live without olfaction and deal with a degraded quality of life. The main objective of Rose is to provide new knowledge on both artificial and natural olfaction. The target is a novel and ambitious science-to-technology breakthrough that will enable people with olfactory deficits to recover the ability to both detect and recognize a limited number of smells. Rose will generate new knowledge on artificial stimulation of the human brain and will develop a proof-of-concept device to restore limited odor perception.
