Researchers reduce the severity of hereditary deafness in mice with the delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 protein-RNA complexes that inactivate a mutant gene in their inner ears.
With a clinical trial underway to restore vision optogenetically, researchers also see promise in using the technique to treat deafness, pain, and other conditions.
Researchers isolate stem cells from the mouse cochlea and convert them into auditory hair cells, potentially paving the way for therapies to treat hearing loss.
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Deficiency in a protein called pejvakin makes inner ear cells more vulnerable to sound, unable to brace themselves against oxidative stress stimulated by noise.
For decades, the only remedies for hearing loss were devices such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. Now, the first pharmaceutical treatments may be on the way.