Baylor College of Medicine
Development of Biomarkers to Study Strial Development and Degeneration
The stria vascularis is a specialized tissue in the inner ear, localized in the lateral wall of the cochlea. This tissue generates endolymph, a special fluid that is rich in potassium and provides the driving force for the function of the sensory cells in the ear. Strial defects are implicated in many human syndromes involving profound hearing loss and are one of the main causes of presbycusis (age related hearing loss). In spite of its importance for normal hearing, we know very little about the development of the stria vascularis. The goal of this project is to identify the genes that are responsible for strial development, and that present the potential to restore or regenerate damaged stria vascularis in cases of both congenital or age related hearing loss.
Research Area: Stria Vascularis Atrophy/Development
Long Term Goal: To understand how the development of the stria vascularis and apply this knowledge towards the regeneration and/or repair of damaged stria vascularis in cases of congential defects or age related hearing loss.