Hearing loss might not be a problem in the future

September 2, 2008

Thanks to a team of scientists we could be facing the cure for hearing loss. This team has managed to produce key ear cells in mice that work just like the natural ones.

Our inner ear turns sound waves into electrical signals inside the organ of Corti. These cells respond to vibrations producing electrical signals that travel via nerves to the brain. As you know the hearing system is a fragile one that can be damaged very easily and that can be depleted with age resulting in hearing loss. Scientists figured out that if they could replace those hair cells hearing could be restored.

Through the use of a protein called Atoh1 scientists managed stimulate the growth of those hair cells in mice. It seem that these proteins when injected into the mice genes when they are still in embryonic state managed to stimulate the growth of hair cells. The examined mice’s after birth all contained more hair cells than normal and all working in perfect order.

The findings provide a lot of hope for who suffers from hearing loss but there are still some details that have to be taken care of like how many copies of Atoh1 are necessary to stimulate hair cell regrowth and what is the best way to deliver the gene to a human organ of Corti.

This research is being made by John Brigande, a developmental neurobiologist at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, and colleagues.

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