According to the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School have taken a step forward toward a treatment that may help millions who have a hearing loss. For the first time, they have made mature mammals (adult guinea pigs) regenerate hair cells - cells in the cochlea important for hearing.
More than 30 million Americans have some form of hearing loss, and most of these cases are due to lost or damaged hair cells. The cells can be damaged by loud noise, infection, aging, genetic conditions and exposure to certain medications.
Think of the cochlea, the spiral-shaped chamber in the inner ear, as a bank. Most people are born with about 16,000 hair cells in each cochlea. However, a person can never "deposit" any more hair cells, they can only be taken away or damaged. Until this study, these hair cells were one of the only cells in the body that didn't regenerate. The cells are critical to hearing because, using their hair-like movements, they convert sound waves into nerve impulses that go to the brain.
Yehoash Raphael, one of the researchers, said the new work is an early advance toward developing a therapy that might help restore hearing. He emphasized that the work is at an early stage and far from testing in humans.
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