Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Is this really the cure for Deafness?

I recently read an article titled "New Stem Cell Therapy May Lead To Treatment For Deafness." Of course, I was intrigued to find out more details. "A new study led by Dr. Marcelo N. Rivolta of the University of Sheffield (in England) has successfully isolated human auditory stem cells from fetal cochleae (the auditory portion of the inner ear) and found they had the capacity to differentiate into sensory hair cells and neurons."

It probably sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo to us. No worries. Here's the details in simpler terms:

Your ear is made of many different parts.


Each part is responsible for a different function of the ear. This article focuses on the cochlea only.
The cochlea is designed to pretty much catch all the sounds and pass them onto its core component which is called the corti. 



The corti acts like an interpreter. It distinguishes and interprets all the different kinds of sounds. Inside the corti are millions of hair cells.


Each hair cell acts like a receptor. Each hair cell is responsible for only 1 sound. The corti takes all of those sounds received from the hair cells and sends an electrical signal to the brain. The brain  deciphers these signals.

If some of the hair cells happen to be damaged, then it will cause (sensorineural) hearing loss.
In this article, the researchers have found a way to grow their own hair cells which can be used to replace the hair cells in the corti (inside the cochlea).

In other words, say good-bye to the cochlear implant and say hello to this technique for the future!

Now my question to you, 

"How do you feel about this?"



9 comments:

  1. I serve on the UCI's Stem Celkl patient Advocacy Council and we've just completed the construction of the new Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center and it's opened its doors to interns already and the clinic will open soon for the trials. We have isolated the cancer causing gene that often occurs in the blastocysts and soon the golden brick road to cure for hearing loss will be made.

    ReplyDelete
  2. When this becomes available, it will be wonderful. However, it will not completely eliminate the implant, because it only cures one type of hearing loss. If the problem is with deformed or missing hearing organs, this won't help at all. Some day they will be able to use stem cells to regrow any part of the body needed. That will be the best day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This will be but one single new tool in the toolbelt and it will work for only those that have that particular type of loss...there are so many reasons for deafness...there will never be a ONE FITS ALL cure...of that, I am quite sure!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy! Maybe this will lead to other discoveries such as retina repairing.

    To anti-cures, back off! There are people who want/need this.

    ReplyDelete
  5. If I had a choice, I probably prefer cochlear implant over stem cell solution for ONE SIMPLE REASON: ability to turn off hearing when sounds are annoying (shouting people, machines, or awful noises)

    Altho, I'm not crazy about the idea of CI on babies.

    I have no beef with Stem Cell solution. I think it might be better than CI for other reasons:

    1) One time operation
    2) It could be permanent hearing. (CI is temporary because if it break, u have to replace it and possibly even pay for it MORE) Therefore, I think less expensive than CI method?

    But if I chose CI, it sucks paying for audiologist visit to fix or pay for another operation if something's wrong. So ehhhhhh...maybe if I chose stem cell, I'd consider getting ear plugs to save $. :-P

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's been an imminent cure for 17 years I know of, but even if it does will only address a small sector of people..

    ReplyDelete
  7. I do not understand why would it only affect a small sector of people?

    Stem cell treatment affects the corti / hair cells and those are related to sensorineural hearing loss.

    Sensorineural hearing loss accounts for about 90% of all hearing loss.....

    ReplyDelete
  8. Read it again, it depends how long your hair cells have been dead, and a number of other issues, so far it has only worked on rats. The UK demands at least 10 years monitoring before the therapy can be applied, if and when that happens then again the young will get it first, applicable to cost, and sensorineural losses tend to happen in later adulthood. This 'treatment' has been mooted 17 years ALREADY which suggests most clinical trials show it isn't valid enough yet. If I had a pound sterling for every time I have read of this 'breakthrough' I could been a millionaire.

    I have that type of loss, but I've been deaf so long they say the treatment would not work now.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would love to have my hearing restored! My hearing loss started in my 30s. If my hearing were restored, and I needed to block out noise, I would just wear earplugs. I would rather wear earplugs when needed than hearing aids! I feel so isolated with hearing loss. I wish the cure were available today!

    ReplyDelete