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Imagine 5-10 years from now, the estimated 24 million people with hearing loss in the United States will have the option to become hearing all over again. Pigs may not be able to fly, but this is actually something in the works according to Harvard Medical School.
Normally, people are born with 50,000 hair cells. When these cells are lost, possibly due to age, disease or injury, they never grow back. A gene has been discovered which appears to play a major role in preventing ear hair cells from regenerating. Researchers are Harvard Medical School claim they can manipulate this particular gene, and block the gene's action so that hair cells can actually regenerate.
According to Dr. Anil K. Lalwani, chairman of otolaryngology at New York University Medical Center, the fact that the manipulation of this particular gene will be applied in the ear and would be used short-term, there shouldn't be any concerns over side effects.
Researchers have already successfully helped re-grow lost hair cells in adult guinea pigs. Five to ten years from now, who knows, with a little bit of luck, people with hearing loss may be able to hear again.
http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/01/how_would_you_l.html
Normally, people are born with 50,000 hair cells. When these cells are lost, possibly due to age, disease or injury, they never grow back. A gene has been discovered which appears to play a major role in preventing ear hair cells from regenerating. Researchers are Harvard Medical School claim they can manipulate this particular gene, and block the gene's action so that hair cells can actually regenerate.
According to Dr. Anil K. Lalwani, chairman of otolaryngology at New York University Medical Center, the fact that the manipulation of this particular gene will be applied in the ear and would be used short-term, there shouldn't be any concerns over side effects.
Researchers have already successfully helped re-grow lost hair cells in adult guinea pigs. Five to ten years from now, who knows, with a little bit of luck, people with hearing loss may be able to hear again.
http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/01/how_would_you_l.html