Stem Cells may help the Deaf Hear

With deafness comes the loss of hair cells, called sensory receptors. Doctors have come up with a way to isolate the auditory part of the ear and distinguish between the neurons and hair cells. Scientists take cochlear cells from human fetuses 9 to 11 weeks old. These cells were kept for a year and were dividing for 7 to 8 months. They realized that these cells showed markers, “expressed by pluripotent embryonic stem cells, from which all tissues and organs develop.” Researchers are using this information to further distinguish the “embryonic stem cells” into different ear cell types. This process has been used on animals, making it slightly less reliable for humans.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lifestyle/Stem-cell-therapy-may-treat-deafness/articleshow/4330632.cms