Regrowing inner ear sensory hair cells to help hearing and balance
Gene regulatory networks for hair cell regeneration
This research aims to learn how genes control the regrowth of tiny hair cells in the inner ear so future therapies might restore hearing and balance for people with acquired hearing loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251319 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, researchers are using zebrafish — animals that can naturally regrow inner ear hair cells — to map which genes turn on after injury and how those genes are controlled. They combine high-throughput genetics, single-cell gene reading (transcriptomics), and epigenomic mapping to see how support cells change into new hair cells. The team focuses on networks of transcription factors, including Sox and Six family proteins, that appear to coordinate these cell-fate changes. The goal is to translate those findings into ideas that could ultimately guide human therapies for hearing and balance loss.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is laboratory research not currently enrolling patients, but future treatments based on these findings would likely target adults with hearing or balance loss caused by hair cell damage.
Not a fit: People seeking an immediate treatment or those whose hearing loss is due to factors other than hair cell damage are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to re-grow the sensory hair cells that underlie many forms of hearing and balance loss.
How similar studies have performed: Related work has shown reliable hair cell regeneration in fish and other non-mammalian species, but translating those results to adult mammals and humans remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jimenez, Erin Alisa — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Jimenez, Erin Alisa
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.