Application Of Stem Cell Therapy And Gene Therapy In Management Of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

With the evolution of gene therapy and advancement in stem cell technology, regenerative medicine appears to be the wave of the future, promising cures to a wide variety of human diseases. While regenerative medicine is still in its infancy years away from clinical adaptation, it represents new interactions between basic scientists and clinicians. Regeneration of any tissue requires a solid foundational knowledge of the molecular basis of developmental processes and stem cell regulation (Fritzsch, B. et al., 2010).Millions of patients suffer from SNHL resulting from lost hair cells in the organ of Corti. Gene therapy and stem cells may offer a permanent cure for affected individuals, but the complexity of the ear compared to other systems, makes regeneration of hair cells a future task. Yet, the past ten years have shown an incredible advancement in the molecular understanding of ear development. A continued improvement in understanding of ear development amalgamated with the nonstop advancements of gene therapy and stem cell biology may be someday the only hope to the ears of many individuals. Although CI represents a technological breakthrough, they have inherent limitations that prevent them from completely restoring hearing loss to the level of natural hearing (Fritzsch, B. et al., 2011)..