This suggests that birds maintain a precise program for hair cell regeneration that preserves frequency-specific nerve connections, which is an important aspect of proper functional recovery.
Cochlear Organoids Reveal How Supporting Cells Differentiate Into Hair Cells
These details gleaned from this regenerative process in the mouse organoid provides insights into how mammalian supporting cells could be reprogrammed into hair cells.
Genetic Reprogramming Converts Nonsensory Cells into Sensory Cells in the Mature Cochlea
We have artificially expressed three key hair cell fate promoting proteins in nonsensory cells of adult mice, and found that a significant number of these cells will convert into cells resembling hair cells. This offers a potential strategy for hair cell regeneration.
Seeing Friends at ARO in Anaheim
Palpable excitement was raised by reports from researchers who have recently published results of landmark gene therapy trials in young children targeting the otoferlin gene.
Mathematical Analysis of Zebrafish Cell Shape Shows Connection With Cell Function
Our results demonstrate the utility of using 3D cell shape features to characterize, compare, and classify cells in a living, developing organism.
Combination of Four Genes May Help Regrow New Auditory Hair Cells in Mammals
Two months after treatment, we saw that some GAPS-treated guinea pigs had a statistically significant increase in new hair cell-like cells compared with controls. Future steps will be to investigate the origin as well as the function of these hair cell-like cells.
An Essential Signaling Cascade for Hair Cell Regeneration in Birds
This work provides a new starting point to investigate the natural triggers of hair cell regeneration in birds. We also identified novel genes that drive hair cell regeneration in the chicken inner ear. These novel genes will be key for investigating their potential role in triggering a change in supporting cells in mammals, in the damaged mouse or human cochlea.
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Mouse Studies Tune Into Hearing Regeneration
In the non-sensory supporting cells of the inner ear, key genes required for conversion to sensory cells are shut off through a process known as epigenetic silencing. By studying how the genes are shut off, we begin to understand how we might turn them back on to regenerate hearing.