Hair cell regeneration in the avian vestibular epithelium.

Research conducted in the past 4 years has shown that the avian vestibular system retains the capacity to generate hair cells postnatally. In the present paper we review information on postnatal proliferation and differentiation of hair cells in the avian vestibular system. In addition, we present preliminary accounts of recent experiments regarding regeneration of vestibular hair cells following aminoglycoside toxicity. The overall consensus is that the avian vestibular system is able to regenerate hair cells, both on an ongoing basis and after damage.