Whilst many people may suffer from the loss of hearing, the reasons may vary. Typically, hearing loss is simply the sound signals not reaching the brain. Hear loss is categorized into two kinds, depending on the nature of the impediment.
Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear canals or due to damage to the auditory nerve which usually occurs with aging or due to some injury. However, conductive hearing loss happens when sounds are unable to reach to your inner ear, usually because of blockage caused by was build up.
While conductive hair loss can be treated, by proper cleaning of the said buildup in the ear, sensorineural hearing loss did not have a treatment or a cure until now. A recent study suggests that doctors may now be able to regrow hair cells in human ears.
Researchers discovered a combination of drugs that can regenerate hair cells in the human ear which detect sound waves and translate them into nerve signals restoring ones sense of hearing.
Every human is born with approximately 15,000 hair cells in each ear, however upon damage they could not be regenerated becoming the leading cause of hearing loss worldwide. The research now indicates that this new combo of drugs can increase the number of progenitor cells also known as supporting cells in the ear and stimulate them to become hair cells.
Professor Robert Langer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology said, Hearing loss is a real problem as people get older. Its very much of an unmet need, and this is an entirely new approach. The drugs can be injected into the middle ear, from which they would diffuse across a membrane into the inner ear.
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