Department of Radiobiology and Tumor Biology, I. Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Romania.
J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Aug;41(4):227-39.
Sensorineural hearing loss, which is often caused by degeneration of hair cells in the auditory epithelium, is permanent because lost hair cells cannot be replaced in mammals. In recent years, important progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms involved in hair cell damage and, more importantly, the reasons why hair cells cannot be regenerated spontaneously in mammals. The knowledge of the factors implicated in hair cell fate determination and of the mechanisms of hair cell regeneration in birds could help in the effort to find a treatment for hearing loss. Although cochlear implant technology is advanced, it still provides only moderate hearing capacity in sensorineural deaf individuals. Inducible stem cells and molecular therapies are appealing alternatives to the cochlear implant as they hold the promise of a cure. It is important to develop a safe and effective means to deliver stem cells or genes to the correct sites to stimulate regeneration in the right place. This review aims to synthesize the present knowledge in the field of sensorineural hearing loss, focusing on the mechanisms involved in hair cell development and regeneration, with the specific purpose of identifying new therapeutic strategies. Despite tremendous progress in this field, most of the concepts discussed in this review are still in the experimental stage.
感音神经性听力损失通常是由于听觉上皮中的毛细胞退化引起的，是永久性的，因为哺乳动物的毛细胞不能被替换。近年来，人们在理解毛细胞损伤的机制方面取得了重要进展，更重要的是，在哺乳动物中，毛细胞为什么不能自发再生的原因也得到了理解。了解鸟类毛细胞命运决定的因素以及毛细胞再生的机制，可能有助于寻找治疗听力损失的方法。尽管耳蜗植入技术已经很先进，但它仍然只能为感音神经性耳聋患者提供适度的听力能力。诱导性干细胞和分子疗法作为耳蜗植入的替代方法具有吸引力，因为它们有望提供治愈方法。开发一种安全有效的方法将干细胞或基因递送到正确的部位，以刺激正确部位的再生是很重要的。本综述旨在综合感音神经性听力损失领域的现有知识，重点关注毛细胞发育和再生所涉及的机制，目的是确定新的治疗策略。尽管在这一领域取得了巨大进展，但本综述中讨论的大多数概念仍处于实验阶段。
