Hanyang Med Rev.  2015 May;35(2):113-120. 10.7599/hmr.2015.35.2.113.

Regenerative Cell Therapy for the Sensorineural Hearing Loss

• Park KH

• KMID: 1793741
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7599/hmr.2015.35.2.113

Abstract

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common disability in the world and nearly one third of all individuals over the age of 65 are affected. For hearing handicapped people, many devices (hearing aid, cochlear implant, middle ear implant etc.) have been developed to reduce or overcome the disability. But these devices do not give perfect benefit to the patients functionally and there are aesthetic problems. That is why researchers have interest in regenerative measures to restore or prevent hearing loss. Recently there were fruitful results from gene and stem cell therapy research for hearing loss. Gene therapy with Atoh 1 gene and transplantation of stem cells into the cochlea regenerate damaged hair cells and morphologically restore spiral ganglion neurons allowing functional hearing in the deaf animal model. Based on these results, many countries including Korea have done clinical trials in deaf patients. The past ten years have shown an incredible advancement in medical biotechnology in the otologic field and this progress may someday substitute the medical devices for the hard of hearing patients.

Keyword

Hearing Loss, Sensorineural; Regenerative Medicine; Stem Cells

MeSH Terms

Biotechnology
Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy*
Cochlea
Cochlear Implants
Disabled Persons
Fruit
Genetic Therapy
Hair
Hearing
Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural*
Humans
Korea
Models, Animal
Neurons
Ossicular Prosthesis
Regenerative Medicine
Spiral Ganglion
Stem Cells