I am 16 years old and live in California. I was born with Pendred syndrome, which is why I have severe to profound, bilateral hearing loss and wear hearing aids.
A Cell Type–Specific Approach to Detail the Role of a Small Molecule in Hair Cells
Interestingly, some of the genes that were more active in the variant hair cells are typically more active in the supporting cells than in the hair cells. It could be that when miR-96 is a variant, some genes more specific to supporting cells, and which are typically kept turned off in hair cells, incorrectly become activated in hair cells.
Hyperacusis Research Presentation at ARO
At the 2024 Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO) MidWinter Meeting, held in early February in Anaheim, California, our partner Hyperacusis Research hosted a dinner where several researchers presented their latest findings.
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.
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.
Cell-Type Identity of the Chick Balance Organ
We have now identified the first events that lead to proliferative hair cell regeneration in birds, which provides new leads that can be translated to mice and ultimately to humans.
Hope for Treatments Against Hearing Loss as 10 New Genes Identified
Researchers argue that the stria vascularis, a part of the cochlea in the ear, is a new target for treatments to help people with hearing loss.
Increasing Our Understanding of Avian Hair Cell Regeneration
We provide evidence that in the regenerating basilar papilla, the expression of immune-related genes is tightly controlled, such that four days after damage, they are no longer expressed in newly regenerated hair cells. This is important because the JAK/STAT signaling pathway is highly potent, leading to inflammation, cytokine storms, and fibrosis.
New High-Tech Portal Launched to Speed Innovations to Reverse Hearing Loss
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) including Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) member Ronna Hertzano, M.D., PhD., launched a new online tool that could more quickly advance medical discoveries to reverse progressive hearing loss.