Doctors explore use of stem cells to reverse deafness
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Doctors say one of the main reasons behind the gradual loss of hearing is the slow death of the hair cells on the cochlea of the ear . Now they are studying the potential of re-growing these hair cells as soon as they die. "The cochlear hair cells in birds have been found to regenerate . In humans , once the cells die, hearing is lost for good ," said Dr Mohan Kameshwaran , director of Madras ENT Research Foundation . "We are doing research on regeneration of hair cells using stem cell therapy . This could be the future of preventing hearing loss," he said .
Doctors said if stem cells, from which every part of the body originally evolved , are being used to re-grow organs , then why not the inner ear . "Though the study is in the initial stages , it has tremendous potential ," said Dr M Jayaraman , head of department of speech pathology and audiology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans ).
Dr Kameshwaran said four to five centres across the world have managed to regrow hair cells of the cochlea using stem cells. The challenge nowisconnecting these hair cells to the central nervous system of the brain . "We need a nerve to connect the hair cells to the neurons in the brain . We are yet to regrow that ," he said , adding that the only option for such patients now is a cochlear implant .
Dr Jayaraman said a group of doctors have tried to place stem cells in the brain , with the hope of regenerating the acoustic part of the brain . "When a person does not hear anything for more than six or seven years , the acoustic part of the brain is taken over by other senses . Efforts at revitalizing this part were only partially successful ," he said .
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