Regeneration in the mammalian inner ear: A glimpse into the future

Abstract

It is well known that the adult mammalian cochlea lacks regenerative capacity, and that the consequence of inner ear damage in humans is permanent sensorineural hearing loss. Since the discovery that hair cells can regenerate in birds, a broad range of studies and research projects has been designed in order to understand this process and to extend it to the mammalian inner ear. The aim of this review is to evaluate the possible future directions and targets of mammalian inner ear regeneration offering an analysis of possible future scenarios.

Key words::

• regenerative medicine
• mammalian inner ear
• inner ear stem cells
• inner ear gene therapy

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.