Understanding How Sensory Hair Cells Grow Back
Official title: Zebrafish Sensory Hair Cell Regeneration
Funded at Stowers Institute for Medical Research · NIH-11109728 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how sensory hair cells, which are vital for hearing and balance, can regrow, hoping to find new ways to help people with hearing loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stowers Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2017 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $393,938 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC015488-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11109728 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but aims to benefit anyone experiencing hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction in the future.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose conditions are not related to sensory hair cell damage may not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
Hearing and balance problems often happen when sensory hair cells in our ears die and don't grow back. While some progress has been made in growing new hair cells, they don't always fully develop. This project uses zebrafish, which naturally regrow their hair cells, to learn more about the genes and signals that guide this process. By understanding how these cells develop in zebrafish, we hope to find new ways to encourage full hair cell regeneration in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that help people with hearing loss and balance issues regrow their own healthy sensory hair cells.
How similar studies have gone: While direct human hair cell regeneration is still in early stages, studies in animal models like zebrafish have shown promising results in understanding the underlying mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Piotrowski, Tatjana — Stowers Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Piotrowski, Tatjana
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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.