Cell Therapy Development in Hearing Loss

Since the potential of stem cells (SCs) in treating diseases is superb, it is believed that the use of SCs is a promising therapeutic approach in hearing damage. More than 250 million people of worldwide are born deaf. The deaf hearing generally originate from defect on sensory receptors (hair cells) or nerves associated with them (spiral ganglion neurons). Hair cells in some animals such as fish, amphibians and birds can regenerate or replace by new cells, but damage to the hair cells in mammals are not being replaced through cell division or regeneration in the inner ear. Cell therapy for hearing loss is still several years away, but researches opens up possibilities for restoring hearing in the future. Here we review developments in cell therapy approach in treatment of hearing loss.