Regeneration of hearing abilities and teeth – Deafness is a result of malfunctioning or damaged cochlear and vestibular hair cells that are found within our inner ears. It might be possible to repair or re-grow these hair cells through inducing stem cells with proper stimulation. Although it is a success with mice already, human beings might have to wait till the year 2020 to actually benefit from this method.In only 9 years from now, imagine that folks. And then begin the procedures for babies born with a hearing loss by reversing it. Then cochlear implantation will no longer be a controversal proceed because it would become outdated and old in favor of a new medical procedure that'd be more effective.
Only time will tell.
13 comments:
I would not be surprised if they had tested on animals and it worked. There was a lady with diabetics and she was in a stem-cell therapy program and her pancreas repaired itself. This is an exciting time because we will see humans living longer and healthier.
Why nine years? I'm sure many who are suffering from a hearing loss would be willing to try it now?
Jeannine,
Because biotechnology is still learning, ever so closer, on exactly how the ear works when it comes to hair cells, the growth of nerves and how to "turn on and off" the signals to help start up the repair process....naturally.
Read up on page 89 - 91 for free here and you can get an idea.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-1-60761-859-1/#section=803202&page=11&locus=0
Copy and paste it to your URL address bar.
It's not exactly fully implementable until we understand many of the factors involved despite have tested it extensively on mammals. The next step soon will be on humans.
Who knows. Maybe in twenty years time the restoration of hearing loss will be a common treatment, especially among babies born with hearing loss.
Experimental stem cell therapy for hearing loss had already been implemented in South Korea. A recently deafened teenager from America had a successful therapy two years ago. It's not approved here yet due to FDA policies which are usually more strict than those in other countries. But people with money can always go overseas for this treatment. No guarantees for success, though.
MZ
So, will those who've had cochlear implantations also be able to benefit from stem cell therapies?
I am skeptical about the South Korea issue because we have not exactly able to regenerate the stereocilia nor kinocilium hair cells yet. At University of Washington is one of the main centers, who are conducting research on Stem Cell for stereocilia hair regeneration. The website for it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGbl9GLjPAs
Can you provide the information about the South Korean Issue of Stem Cell Research? I apologized I am skeptical because we have not been able to find any advanced stereocilia hair regeneration in human or mammals yet. However, there are some species that are fortunate to be able to regenerate like the birds. I am not sure if all the birds are able to regenerate the stereocilia hairs if they are damaged or 'lose' it. I am curious, though. Thanks.
WisDeaf
One of the reason for Univ. of Washington to began studying ear hair cells was because of their discovery in 1986 that birds can generate new hair cells after birth.
http://depts.washington.edu/hearing/InnerEarHairCellRegeneration.php
@MZ, is this where you got your source from? A Blog? Website that I got was from: http://www.donmargolis.com/Home/Blog/November-2009/Hearing-Loss-Turns-Into-Hearing-Gain-From-New-Stem.aspx
Is there any research on actual journals like otoneurology, neurology, audiology, and so forth? Could you provide any? Thanks.
@Mike, I agree with you about the birds are able to regenerate after birth. However, not for mammals or humans yet as far as I know despite I find the blog interesting though.
WisDeaf
WiDeaf,
I am well aware that humans/mammals are incapable of regenerating. The birds' ability to regenerate hair cells were the ones that provided a model for Univ. of washignton to go by with.
@Mike,
My main question is does the website that you had just given from University of Washington applies to all birds or just specific species of birds that have the capability to regenerate the stereocilia hairs? While reading the webpage, I was not able to get any information of which specific species of birds they were referring to. Therefore, it leads me to question if all or some birds have the capability. Do you know?
I thought your website was very good.
WisDeaf
An excellent write up on the progress being made in treating hearing loss is listed below:
http://repairstemcell.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/hearing-loss-%E2%80%93-a-brief-history/
Going to answer a few questions I saw earlier. WisDeaf you know when a lizard cuts its tail off and it grows back? When a human baby is born and if the tip of his finger is cut off of a new born guess what happens more than half of the time? You guessed it it will grow back. Cut off a 5 year olds finger and guess what? he will be without a tip it wont grow back. Its because of stem cells at a very early age actually birth or before. The girl in california had a autoimmune disease that caused her hearing loss. No stem cells at 15 to repair that coclear, but take the stem cells from her fat or marrow of blood and get a half a billion of them and inject her with them and guess what her cochlea will heal a bit for now.If you cant follow this crayon layout then stop asking questions you cant comprehend answers too.
The other question i want to answer is can people with cochlear implantations be able to benefit from stem cell therapies? It all depends on the invasive damage done installing the device. If you remove it and try stem cells you may or may not be happy with the final result. It is possible but you never know in a situation like that. I hope you are not in medical school.
Next is Why 9 years by Jeannine? well you see it take x amount of years to get the funds guarranteed and x amount of years to build the clinics and x amount of years to train, insurance chain of duties etcetc, personally i would have said 11 and just suprised everyone with 8 and say we just were ahead of schedule. Wake up world.
Next..Wisdeaf you stated Can you provide the information about the South Korean Issue of Stem Cell Research? and my very blunt answer to your question is...drumroll...yes I Could, but for you snotty little attitude I will not provide it, its right there iin front of you Dumbas&
WHY exactly 9 YEARS, do they KNOW something we don't ?
Why not 2 years or 5 years, are they hiding something?
Surely if theyve tried this now on mice/rats and it was medicine, then they would have already made it for useon humans ?
Very suspicious suspect article due to the "9" years bit !
Hospitals in Asia are treating people with hearing loss, noise induced or genetically etc.Italy has proved in 2008 that Mice treated with umbilical cord stem cells regained almost all of their hearing.Trials should be now on humans.Not "9" years.
Thanks
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