One of the greatest challenges in the treatment of inner-ear disorders is to find a cure for the hearing loss that is caused by the loss of cochlear hair cells or spiral ganglion neurons. The recent discovery of stem cells in the adult inner ear that are capable of differentiating into hair cells....can be converted into hair cells, raise hope for the future development of stem-cell-based treatment regimens.
In this issue it talks about how in the future such procedures using stem cell could very much help repair the damaged cochlea as a result of cochlear implant. What they are faced is the emplacement of hair cells inside the cochlea "mimicking the tonotopic organization of sound along the longitudinal axis of the cochlea. Replacing lost hair cells with stem-cell-derived hair cells along the tonotopic map of the cochlea might also suffice to restore basic cochlear functions even without matching the hair-cell phenotype to its location."
Quite exciting knowing that in the future cochlear implant recipents will be able to have their damaged cochlea caused by cochlear implants, therby continuing toward the goal of restored hearing. Ok, I'll say it. Therby continuing toward the goal in the cure on hearing loss.
The issue continues with various possible avenues in the restoration of hearing loss. And concludes about the future of stem cell on hearing loss:
The recent discovery of adult inner-ear stem cells and the generation of hair cells from ES cells have opened an exciting new avenue for the development of strategies to restore hearing. One of the obvious next steps toward this goal is to transfer the findings that were obtained with murine cells to human stem cells. Before stem cells can be considered for therapeutic applications in humans, their suitability to functionally restore hearing, at least in part, must be shown in mice or in other animal models. Finally, it is conceivable that stem-cell-based therapy alone will not be the ultimate solution for the treatment of hearing loss, and that distant future therapy might be a combination of stem cell, gene therapy and drug treatment in conjunction with technical devices, such as microprocessor- controlled cochlear-interface implants. Such a combination therapy will be customized to the particular cellular ailment of the individual patient.
In short, we have a very good prospect in the near future on seeing that most types of hearing loss can be cured or restored. Secondly, with the recent discovery that we carry adult stem cells in our inner ear is a very good sign. It all takes on the new meaning "heal thyself."
A time will come when parents of a deaf baby will have the comfort knowing that such a hearing loss will only be temporary using the best available medical technique to restore and cure the baby's hearing loss. Or for those who grew up wearing cochlear implants will have the comfort knowing that a cochlear implant is temporary and that the damaged cochlea can be repaired and restored.
How soon will this happen? With the current speed on the advancements of stem cells application to that of hearing loss, I would safely say such a time would come within my lifetime, easily. Perhaps within 20 years from now the restoration on hearing loss would be commonplace. With 250 million people around the world with hearing loss represents a huge market and an incentive for researchers to become the first in the race to cure hearing loss. Kudos and godspeed!
Parents of deaf children have the right to decide on how to approach their child's hearing loss. This includes getting a cochlear implant or not. And in the future, the decision will be made much easier using adult stem cells (or other medical techniques) to help restore and cure the child's hearing loss. For those who decide against the restoration of hearing loss for their deaf child have every right as a Deaf parent to allow their deaf child remain deaf. But probably by that time in the near future when a cure is already possible, denying such a procedure for their deaf child/baby would probably constitute as "child abuse." By denying the basic right of a child the ability to hear normally would give a stronger case of "child abuse" in the future. A complete 180 degree shift when at one time Deaf communities were vehemently decrying that outfitting cochlear implants on young deaf children constituted as "child abuse."That was nearly 10 years ago and such inferences on "child abuse" have waned considerably. But the bottom line ought to be that parents have the right to decide for their children's welfare in the proper frame of thinking when it comes to hearing loss.
It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds in the future.
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