Study Points to Possible New Therapy for Hearing Loss

A study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience suggests a new approach for restoration of hearing loss, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers were able to regrow the sensory hair cells found in the cochlea that render sound vibrations as electrical signals. Earlier research identified a family of receptors called epidermal growth factors (EGFs) whose role is to activate support cells in the auditory organs of birds. When induced, these cells proliferate and foster the generation of new sensory hair cells. The multi-institutional team tested a hypothesis that transmissions from the EGF family of receptors could play a role in cochlear regeneration in mammals, focusing on the ERBB2 receptor in cochlear support cells. They determined that activating the ERBB2 pathway triggered a cascading series of cellular events by which cochlear support cells began to spread and initiate the process of activating neighboring stem cells to evolve into new sensory hair cells. It also seems as if this process could support the sensory hair cells' integration with nerve cells. "This research demonstrates a signaling pathway that can be activated by different methods and could represent a new approach to cochlear regeneration and, ultimately, restoration of hearing," says University of Rochester Medical Center Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Professor Patricia White.