Deaf gerbils may help hearing loss in people ….
Researchers have restored the ability to hear in deaf gerbils using implanted human embryonic stem cells, achieving what they call a first step in potentially overcoming some causes of hearing loss in people.
While more study is needed to ensure the technique is safe for humans, principal researcher Dr. Marcelo Rivolta of the University of Sheffield said the work shows that stem cells can indeed regenerate nerve cells needed for hearing.
“It is early days, but we believe this is a substantial step forward because what we have here is the proof of concept that we can use human stem cells derived from human embryonic stem cells to repair the ear,” Rivolta said from Sheffield, England.
The researchers describe their work in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
The “progenitor” cells implanted in the gerbils were produced in the lab from a line of human embryonic stem cells approved for use in research.
Embryonic stem cells give rise to virtually all tissue types in the body, from the various organs to neurons to skin.
These “otic progenitors” differentiate into cells with the same properties as hair cells and auditory neurons, which are critical for sensing sound.
Hair cells, located in the spiral-shaped cochlea in the inner ear, amplify and transform sound vibrations into electrical signals, which are then relayed via the auditory nerve to the brain stem.
“You can replace the hair cells with the cochlear implant, but the cochlear implant will work very poorly or not work at all if you don’t have the nerve,” said Rivolta, explaining that the idea would be to regenerate the auditory nerve with stem cells — combined with cochlear implants.
However, trials to test the stem cell therapy in people is at least a few years off.
While researchers kept track of the gerbils’ progress for about 10 weeks after treatment, Rivolta said the next studies would follow the animals for up to 15 weeks to see if any adverse effects show up.
It is very early days, however, all research and developments of this nature give people with hearing difficulties something to hope for in the future.
To read an article about first hand experience of a Cochlear implant procedure click HERE ←
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