A human induced pluripotent stem cell ‐based modular platform to challenge sensorineural hearing loss

Schematic of the various applications of induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC) modular platform to challenge sensorineural hearing loss. IPSCs can be generated via genetic reprogramming of somatic cells from patient/healthy subject. In the inner ear, this technology has emerged as a promising tool for disease modeling, bioengineering, drug screening/validation and as an otic sensory progenitor source for autologous sensory cell replacement. In the cochlear epithelium, inner hair cells are arranged in a single row and outer hair cells are arranged in three rows (blue color). The supporting cells (yellow color) surround the sensory hair cells (HC). AbstractThe sense of hearing depends on a specialized sensory organ in the inner ear, called the cochlea, which contains the auditory hair cells (HCs). Noise trauma, infections, genetic factors, side effects of ototoxic drugs (ie, some antibiotics and chemotherapeutics), or simply aging lead to the loss of HCs and their associated primary neurons. This results in irreversible sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) as in mammals, including humans; the inner ear lacks the capacity to regenerate HCs and spiral ganglion neurons. SNHL is a major global health problem affecting millions of people worldwide and provides a growing concern in the aging population. To date, treatment options are limited to hearing aids and cochlear implants. A major bottleneck for development of new therapies for SNHL is associated to the lack of human otic cell bio...
Source: Stem Cells - Category: Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Regenerative Medicine Source Type: research