Mouse Study Reveals 'Master' Gene to Regrow Lost Ear Hair Cells

There is no way to grow back the inner and outer ear sensory cells once they have been killed off, so hearing loss is usually irreversible.

Scientists have found a single master gene that regulates whether ear hair cells are in the outer or inner types. This is a significant step forward in being able to carry this out in the lab.

The master gene is called TBX2. The team found that when it is expressed, ear hair cells become inner hair cells, and when it is blocked, ear hair cells become outer hair cells. It is a crucial switch.

The first clear cell switch to make one type versus the other will be provided by our finding. We have overcome a hurdle.

As the researchers look to translate their findings into an actual workable cell development process, a cocktail of genes will be required, including the ATOH1 andGF1 genes. The creation of outer hair cells is a factor that is important for playing a part.

It is possible to make an artificial hair cell in a laboratory, but it can't differentiate into inner or outer cells, so there are issues with their ability to produce hearing.

When sound waves hit the ear, the outer hair cells expand and contract in response to the pressure, and the inner hair cells amplify the sound and send it to the brain.

Hearing doesn't happen without this dance of cells. deafness and hearing loss can be caused by the death of outer hair cells in the embryo.

We can now figure out how to make specifically inner or outer hair cells and identify why the latter are more prone to dying and cause deafness.

The death of outer hair cells can be a result of aging, exposure to loud noise, and treatments for diseases like cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 8.5 percent of US adults have disabling hearing loss.

The figure goes up to 25 percent for those aged 65-74 and 50 percent for those 75 and above. The hope is that the required hair cells can be regenerated.

The team behind the study emphasizes that the research is still at an experimental stage, and there is a lot of work to be done before the findings can be put to use. It is another reminder of how fascinating the human body is, right down to the ear hairs.

The ear is a beautiful organ. There is only one organ in a mammal where the cells are positioned precisely.

The research has been published.