Regrowing inner-ear sensory hair cells after antibiotic damage
Regenerative pathways in the avian cochlea
This work looks at how support cells in the ear can be triggered to divide and replace hair cells lost to certain antibiotics, with the goal of helping people who have sensorineural hearing loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11260269 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying birds and mice to learn which genes and pathways turn on when sensory hair cells die after aminoglycoside (antibiotic) damage. They will profile gene activity from individual cells over time to find a key pathway linked to a receptor called PAR2 that appears to start supporting cells dividing. The team will test the identified effector genes in an adult mouse model of long-term hair cell loss and map how newly formed hair cells mature. Findings will be compared with tissue-level observations to link molecular changes to actual cell regrowth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with sensorineural hearing loss caused by loss of inner-ear hair cells—for example from aminoglycoside (ototoxic) antibiotic exposure—are the population that could eventually benefit.
Not a fit: Patients whose hearing loss is due to damage beyond hair-cell loss (for example conductive hearing problems or severe auditory nerve degeneration) are less likely to benefit from hair-cell regeneration approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could identify targets for treatments that restore hearing by regenerating damaged sensory hair cells.
How similar studies have performed: Bird models have long shown robust hair-cell regeneration and some neonatal mouse work shows limited regeneration, but adult mammalian inner-ear regeneration in humans remains largely unproven and this PAR2-linked pathway is a novel target.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heller, Stefan — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Heller, Stefan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.