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PMID: 17120192 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review

The molecular basis of neurosensory cell formation in ear development: a blueprint for hair cell and sensory neuron regeneration?

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology ·Vol. 28 ·No. 12 ·2006-12-00 ·Pages 1181-93

Fritzsch B, Beisel KW, Hansen LA

Abstract

The inner ear of mammals uses neurosensory cells derived from the embryonic ear for mechanoelectric transduction of vestibular and auditory stimuli (the hair cells) and conducts this information to the brain via sensory neurons. As with most other neurons of mammals, lost hair cells and sensory neurons are not spontaneously replaced and result instead in age-dependent progressive hearing loss. We review the molecular basis of neurosensory development in the mouse ear to provide a blueprint for possible enhancement of therapeutically useful transformation of stem cells into lost neurosensory cells. We identify several readily available adult sources of stem cells that express, like the ectoderm-derived ear, genes known to be essential for ear development. Use of these stem cells combined with molecular insights into neurosensory cell specification and proliferation regulation of the ear, might allow for neurosensory regeneration of mammalian ears in the near future.

MeSH Terms
Animals Ear/embryology,physiology Ectoderm/cytology Hair Cells, Auditory/cytology Humans Nerve Regeneration Neurons, Afferent/cytology Stem Cells/cytology
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Fritzsch Bernd
Creighton University, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Omaha, NE 68178, USA. [email protected]
Beisel Kirk W
Hansen Laura A
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Article Info
Journal
BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology
Abbr.
Bioessays
ISSN
0265-9247
DOI
10.1002/bies.20502
Email
[email protected]
Published
2006-12-00
Pages
1181-93
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
8510851
PMCID
PMC3901523
Subset
IM
Grants
NIDCD NIH HHS · R01 DC005009 · United States
NIDCD NIH HHS · R01 DC005590-05 · United States
NCRR NIH HHS · P20 RR018788 · United States
NIDCD NIH HHS · DC005009 · United States
NCRR NIH HHS · C06 RR017417 · United States
NIDCD NIH HHS · R01 DC005590 · United States
NCRR NIH HHS · 1P20RR018788-01 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1002/bies.20502 PMC Full Text View journal details
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