Saturday, April 10, 2010

Exciting Updates on hearing loss and Tinnitus

Some really exciting updates on treatment for hearing loss (using stem cell) and Tinnitus.

See :

http://www.rnid.org.uk/VirtualContent/84925/HearingProgress2010.pdf

Folks who are suffering need not wait for too long now!

" ...
Stem cells are cells that can be grown in the
lab and have the potential to turn into many
different types of cell.
Dr Marcelo Rivolta at Sheffield University, UK,
is exploring the possibility of using stem cells
to replace the damaged cells within our ears.
In previous research, funded by RNID, Dr
Rivolta discovered how to grow ‘auditory stem
cells’ in the lab and how to coerce these cells
into cell types found in the inner ear. He is now
focusing on finding out whether these auditory
stem cells could be used to restore hearing in
six models of deafness.
Initial results are very promising, with all six
models showing that the cells transplanted
into the ear developed into the correct type
of cell. In this case, the team had ‘told’ the
stem cell to turn into a hearing nerve cell. After
several weeks, the cells were still in good
condition and had started to grow towards the
right location. Even more promising is the fact
that the models showed a 25dB improvement
in their hearing thresholds, indicating that
this early research is a step in the right
direction towards achieving the ultimate goal –
reversing hearing loss."

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