Gerbils regain hearing thanks to stem cell therapy Using human
embryonic stem cells, researchers at the University of Sheffield
were able to implant immature nerve cells into gerbils, which
then regenerated and were able to improve hearing ability in the
animals. The study was published on Sept. 12 in Nature.
According to a Nature News article on the study, more than 275
million people have moderate-to-profound hearing loss, many of
whom have it caused by a disruption in communication between the
inner ear and brain. Senior study author Dr. Marcelo Rivolta, a
stem cell researcher at the University of Sheffield told
HealthDay that about 80 to 90 percent of deafness is due to
problems with cells in the inner ear. There are two types of
inner ear cells. Hair cells translate vibrations into electrical
signals that are transmitted via the auditory nerve to the
brain. Problems with these cells are typically fixed via
cochlear implant, a small device which can bypass the hair cells
and directly send signals to intac