FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children's Hospital Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2013 May;24(5):448-59. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2013.03.009. Epub 2013 Mar 29.
Sensory epithelia of the inner ear contain two major cell types: hair cells and supporting cells. It has been clear for a long time that hair cells play critical roles in mechanoreception and synaptic transmission. In contrast, until recently the more abundant supporting cells were viewed as serving primarily structural and homeostatic functions. In this review, we discuss the growing information about the roles that supporting cells play in the development, function and maintenance of the inner ear, their activities in pathological states, their potential for hair cell regeneration, and the mechanisms underlying these processes.
毛细胞和支持细胞。长期以来，人们一直清楚地认识到毛细胞在机械感受和突触传递中起着关键作用。相比之下，直到最近，数量更多的支持细胞被认为主要起结构和体内平衡的作用。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了关于支持细胞在内耳发育、功能和维持、病理状态下的活动、毛细胞再生的潜力以及这些过程背后的机制中所扮演的角色的不断增加的信息。
