New technology to repair hearing loss in millions of people around the world

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A study from the University of Rochester shows that viruses, genetics and even existing drugs can cause the appearance of a few capillaries for a new development of the inner ear, Hair is the first step in the collection of noise and are not usually replaced when you die with age or excessive exposure to noise.Humans do not renew the hair cells of the inner ear once lost, resulting in permanent damage to the hearing.

The micro-cells move in response to vibrations, which cause nerve impulses to the brain, interpreted as sounds. In other animals, such as birds, frogs and fish, the surrounding cells located in the inner ear, called cochlea, can turn into very specific cells.

"It's funny, but mammals are strange in the animal kingdom when it comes to cochlear revival," said Dr. Jing Yuan Zhang, a researcher at the study.

Previous studies indicate that ERBB2 participates in the production of new thin hair cells and the results of the new test confirmed that surrounding cells expressing ERBB2 were more likely to be capillary cells. The scientists then tested the effects of viruses that stimulate the production of ERBB2, genetically modified mice and administered them drugs known to stimulate the protein. These drugs are already used to stimulate the renewal of cells in the eye and pancreas. European Journal of Neuroscience. "The process of hearing repair is a complex problem that requires a series of cellular events," said Dr. Patricia White, lead author.

"We need to regenerate sensory hair cells and these cells must function properly and connect to the necessary neural network." This research shows the signaling pathway, which can be activated in different ways and can represent a new way to regenerate the cochlea and eventually recover from hearing.

Hearing loss affects 37.5 million people in the United States and 9 million in the United Kingdom. They may also be due to viral infections, diabetes, ear infections and excessive exposure to noise.

This comes after studies published earlier this year indicate that children who have been exposed to smoking in their mothers' wombs are more likely to lose hearing. Nicotine interferes with the chemical messages in the nerve that informs the brain of the sound it hears.