Scientists Restore Hearing in Noise-Deafened Mice with New Technique

Scientists have made a breakthrough when it comes to hearing restoration. They've managed to restore the hearing of mice partially deafened by noise, using tools to boost the production of a key protein in their ears.

Certain cells have traditionally been seen as the "supporting actors" of the ear-brain connection. These supporting cells form a physical base for the hair cells in the ear that interact directly with the nerves that carry sounds to the brain. In this case, though, the researchers found that these supporting cells along with the NT3 molecules they produce may have more of a critical role in terms of hearing.

NT3 is crucial to the body's ability to form and maintain connections between hair cells and nerve cells. This type of connection is called a ribbon synapse, and allows rapid communication of signals that travel back and forth across tiny gaps between the two types of cells.

"It has become apparent that hearing loss due to damaged ribbon synapses is a very common and challenging problem, whether it's due to noise or normal aging," said Gabriel Corfas, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We began this work 15 years ago to answer very basic questions about the inner ear, and now we have been able to restore hearing after partial deafening with noise, a common problem for people. It's very exciting."

In order to manage this feat, the scientists employed a genetic technique to make it possible for some mice to produce addition NT3 in cells of specific areas of the inner ear after they were exposed to noise loud enough to reduce hearing. Mice with extra NT3 regained their ability to hear much better than the control mice.

Currently, the scientists are looking forward to research in humans. They hope to potentially find drugs that mimic NT3 in humans in order to improve hearing. The findings could potentially represent a new way to restore hearing in those that have had their hearing damaged by loud noises.

The findings are published in the journal eLife.