UVA Discovers Contributor to Age-Related Hearing Loss

A study from the University of Virginia (UVA) published in Nature Communications found a new potential contributor to age-related hearing loss, reports the Augusta Free Press . The implication is that a genetic predisposition can cause the ear's cuticular plate to deteriorate over time. "The cuticular plate is important for the ability of the hair cells to detect sound but also for the overall vibrations that happen in the cochlea," said UVA's Jung-Bum Shin. "Defects in this cuticular plate appear to lead to progressive hearing loss." The team identified a protein specific to the cuticular plate, and found the gene Lmo7 to be critical for the plate's long-term stability in mice. Blocking the gene's expression led to gradual age-related hearing loss. Lacking the Lmo7 protein, "the structure of the plate is not as strong as it should be," Shin noted. "At some point, the system notices, leading to deterioration of overall function." Because Lmo7 is retained in all vertebrates, mutations in Lmo7 could potentially cause age-related hearing loss in people.