Introduction: For most types of hearing impairments, a definitive therapy would rest on the ability to restore hair cells and the spiral ganglion neurons. The only established technique to treat deafness is based on the functional replacement of hair cells with a cochlear implant, but this still has important limitations.
Sources Of Data: A systematic revision of the relevant literature is presented.
Areas Of Agreement: New curative strategies, ranging from stem cells to gene and molecular therapy, are under development.
Areas Of Controversy: Although still experimental, they have delivered some initial promissory results that allow us to look at them with cautious optimism.
Growing Points: The isolation of human auditory cells, the generation of protocols to control their differentiation into sensory lineages, their promising application in vivo and the identification of key genes to target molecularly offer an exciting landscape.
Areas Timely For Developing Research: In this chapter, I discuss the latest advances in the field and how they are being translated into a clinical application.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bmb/lds035 | DOI Listing |
Hear Res
December 2024
Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States. Electronic address:
Auditory-nerve fibers (ANFs) from a given cochlear region can vary in threshold sensitivity by up to 60 dB, corresponding to a 1000-fold difference in stimulus level, although each fiber innervates a single inner hair cell (IHC) via a single synapse. ANFs with high-thresholds also have low spontaneous rates (SRs) and synapse on the side of the IHC closer to the modiolus, whereas the low-threshold, high-SR fibers synapse on the side closer to the pillar cells. Prior biophysical work has identified modiolar-pillar differences in both pre- and post-synaptic properties, but a comprehensive explanation for the wide range of sensitivities remains elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStem Cell Reports
December 2024
Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA. Electronic address:
It is widely recognized that the glycocalyx has significant implications in regulating the self-renewal and differentiation of adult stem cells; however, its composition remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the fucose-binding Aleuria aurantia lectin (AAL) binds differentially to basal cells in the stratified epithelium of the human limbus, hair follicle epithelium, and meibomian gland duct. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting in combination with single-cell transcriptomics, we find that most epithelial progenitor cells and melanocytes in the limbus display low AAL staining (AAL) on their cell surface, an attribute that is gradually lost in epithelial cells as they differentiate into mature corneal cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomaterials
December 2024
Materdicine Lab, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China; Shanghai Institute of Materdicine, Shanghai, 200012, China. Electronic address:
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) represents a substantial global health challenge, primarily driven by oxidative stress-induced damage within the auditory system. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in this pathological process, leading to cellular damage and apoptosis of cochlear hair cells, culminating in irreversible hearing impairment. Recent advancements have introduced ROS-scavenging biomaterials as innovative, multifunctional platforms capable of mitigating oxidative stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMed Sci (Paris)
December 2024
Institut des neurosciences de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, Inserm, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
Arch Dermatol Res
December 2024
Hospital for Skin Diseases, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.12 Jiangwangmiao, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, 210042, Jiangsu, China.
Vitiligo is the most frequently diagnosed depigmentation disease, affecting nearly 0.5-2% of individuals worldwide. This disorder is characterized by melanocyte loss, which results in skin and hair depigmentation.
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