The research suggests that reprogramming with multiple transcription factors is better able to access the hair cell differentiation gene regulatory network, but that additional interventions may be necessary to produce mature and fully functional hair cells.
A Combination of Genes to Enhance Hair Cell Regeneration in the Adult Mammalian Cochlea
Due to the lack of spontaneous regeneration, the hearing loss caused by hair cell loss is permanent. One way to envision future biological/medical repair of the hair cell-depleted inner ear is to medically induce the generation of new hair cells.
UM School of Medicine Researchers Identify Role of Crucial Protein in Development of New Hair Cells Needed for Hearing
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have conducted a study that has determined the role that a critical protein plays in the development of hair cells. These hair cells are vital for hearing. Some of these cells amplify sounds that come into the ear, and others transform sound waves into electrical signals that travel to the brain.