Researchers Regenerate Damaged Stereo Cilia Using MATH1 Gene

more than two years ago, this result...and where are we now...wheres the urgency

amazing


Abstract 484, Date 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm, Sunday, February 7, 2010
Session Session J:



"Regeneration of Stereocilia of Cochlear Hair Cells by Math1 Gene Therapy
*Shi-Ming Yang, Wei Chun Chen, Wei-Wei Guo, Jian-He Sun, Ying-Yan Hu, Shuping Jia, David He
Cochlear hair cells transduce mechanical stimuli into electrical activity. The site of mechanoelectrical transduction is the stereociliary bundle in the apical surface of hair cells. The delicate hair bundle is susceptible to acoustic trauma and ototoxic drugs. Hair cells in lower vertebrates and mammalian vestibular organs can spontaneously regenerate the stereocilia once lost. Mammalian cochlear hair cells, however, no longer retain that capability. The inability to self-repair the damaged stereocilia subsequently leads to hair cell death and hearing loss. We explored the possibility of regenerating stereocilia in the noise-deafened guinea pig cochleas by over-expression of math1, a gene encoding a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor and a key regulator of hair cell differentiation. After impulsive noise exposure, a 60-80 dB hearing loss was seen in the middle to high frequency regions. SEM examinations performed at 7, 10, and 14 days after noise exposure revealed extensive stereociliary damage and loss in both inner and outer hair cells in the first, second and third turns. However, majority of hair cells were able to survive the bundle damage or loss for up to 7 to 10 days, although sporadic hair cell loss was also seen in some areas. Math1 inoculated within the first week after noise exposure was able to induce stereociliary regeneration. The newly regenerated stereocilia were functional, as ABR and CM measured 1 and 2 months after math1 inoculation showed significant hearing threshold improvement in the frequency range that was mostly affected. Our results suggest that math1 over-expression promotes regeneration of the stereocilia. Math1-based gene therapy, therefore, has the potential to restore hearing after noise-induced hair cell damage. (Supported National Natural Science Foundation of China grants No. 30871398 and 30730040 to SY and by NIH grant R21 009908 to DH)"

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researchers from Creighton University, indicated that this therapy had to be undertaken within about ten days of hearing damage for the original cells that were damaged to regrow their cilia

too late for many of us this time around but what about for others...and.... in our future should we sustain additional damage this could cut our loses

...come on lets get on with it for cryin out loud