Hearing Loss
Environment, communication is extremely important in establishing the sense of hearing. Assumed the function of inner ear hearing organ of Corti consists of hearing and support cells. This organ is located in approximately 15,000 around the auditory nerve. These cells convert mechanical stimuli alerts electricity. Thus the sound wave is transmitted to the brain as electrical warning. A limited number of these cells in the inner ear is very sensitive to different factors and may be damaged easily. Congenital or acquired (post of) hearing loss usually depends on the damage of these cells. Underestimated the genetic causes of hearing loss rate is high. Congenital hearing loss is the rate of 1:1000. Approximately 1:1000 in healthy babies' and various degrees of hearing loss before they reach the period when the adult is not yet. Effects of speech in these children compared to age, perception disorders and psychosocial problems occur. According to the World Health Organization and the old rate of world population has increased gradually with increasing rates of acquired hearing loss. In 2001 approximately 250 million people affected by this chronic problem and one of every 3 people over the age of 65 reported varying degrees of hearing loss (http://www.who.org).
Hearing the cells themselves are not capable of renewal. Any injury or damage occurs, the body's other organs, such as cells multiply resolve this damage. Today, the latest scientific studies show that embryonic stem cells turn into cells of hearing. Recently, the cells lining the inner ear balance organ is shown carrying the stem cell character. Experimental studies that adult stem cells derived from the inner ear hearing aids can be used as cells. Bone marrow stem cells taken from adults can gain the character displayed in the inner ear nerve cells. Clinically, these cells instead of cells in the damaged inner ear can be treated by placing the thought of hearing loss. Despite all these findings, the exact solution to hearing loss may not have stem cell based therapies. Gene therapy, drug therapy and developed the use of technological devices that can be done in addition to the benefits of a stem cell therapy can provide a variety of hearing loss. Today, hearing loss, all the studies on the use of stem cells is an experimental level, there is currently an application in humans.
Cells renewed themselves after hearing birds, mammals, this feature is shown in kazandırılabilmesi scientists have initiated some studies. Last week, scientists at the University of Michigan through the field of gene therapy on rats have managed to create a new hearing cells. Math1 gene, was transferred to the cells of these animals developed into support cells of hearing. Furthermore, these cells have established links with cells of the brain to detect the sense of hearing. In the coming days to assess the functions of these cells will work. In the case of positive results as an alternative to permanent hearing loss may present a new gene therapy.
