Stem Cells May One Day Treat Hearing Problems
Posted on: Wednesday, 17 September 2003, 06:00 CDT
Two animal studies look at ways to grow healthy ear cells
HealthDayNews -- Scientists have found a way to control the development of stem cells in the inner ears of embryonic chickens, and the finding could lead to better ways to treat diseases that cause deafness and vertigo in humans.
The Purdue University researchers introduced new genes into the stem cell nuclei. These genes gave instructions to the stem cells to develop into different adult cells than they would have ordinarily.
So, instead of developing into tiny hairs used by the inner ear to detect sound waves, the re-programmed stem cells developed into tissue with hairs used to control balance.
The ability to control development of cell types could help scientists expand their knowledge of the inner ear and its disorders.
The study appears in the current issue of Developmental Biology.
In related research, Americans scientists have discovered a new population of stem cells inside the inner ear of adult mice.
These stem cells give rise to new hair cells when grown in a culture dish in the laboratory and also after they're transplanted into embryonic inner ears of research animals.
The findings may help scientists find new ways to help people with hearing loss.
"The generation of new hair cells from a renewable source is the first step towards the development of new treatment options for human deafness," research leader Stefan Heller, a principal investigator at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary's Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, says in a news statement.
"Our immediate future goal is to test whether stem cell-derived hair cells can functionally restore hearing in deaf animals," Heller says.
The research appears in the October issue of Nature Medicine.
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