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Can stem cells cure hearing loss?


MichaelWilson

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Hi All, 

Have you seen this?? To celebrate Hearing Awareness Week Ear Science have released a video on their latest research investigating if stem cells can cure hearing loss! Imagine if instead of receiving a hearing device, new hearing cells were transplanted into your ears. 

Here's the link to the video.

Wishing you all a very happy hearing awareness week,
Michael
 

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Thank you Michael. I knew about stem cell project at work but didn't know about hearing awareness week.

I like my CIs  so much that even don't worry much when our hearing is about to be cured with stem cells ? But if seriously, it is exciting opportunity for many ppl with hearing problems. 

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Well, the one or the other way - the SF part of the research community is all in this topic. We shouldn't forget that some of greatest mind before 40 years said - No way! There isn't any chance that something like a cochlear implant will ever work.

And, look at you Gang today? :P

Like in that famous story where a wise voice tell us the wisdom of the story that if you can not find the door - try to find a window: research community always considered the blindness as bigger problem than deafness.... But Helen Keller taught us: if you loose your sight - you loose a contact with things, but if you loose a hearing - you loose a contact with people.....

But, let's get back to the beginning....

Actually, one study was published which actually restored hearing cells to mice up to 25 dB, but ... BUT - what is most significant here, story doesn't end with restoring just hearing cells with the stem one - behind them there is a complex neural network which also has to be restored up to the perfect level to - have a perfect hearing once or again. As we all know, our hearing neural pathways don't develop at all or weaken if they are not appropriately stimulated - just like any muscle in our body, nature has its laws which we can not just jump over. I believe A. EInstein said: As much as I learn more, I found out that less I know... Horizons get wider.... Life teach us to be patient, practice as much as we can, persevere .... From Greek mythology up to Albert Camus and Franz Kafka it was lively explained it in the story about Sisyphus...

Cheers! :P

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Thanks again Professor Ivana! 

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19 hours ago, Kara of Canada said:

Thanks again Professor Ivana! 

Try with a dull version of Plato for instance .... :D:D

This happens when you allow me to escape into my philosophical cloud! :o:wacko:

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It's clear that the future is focused on stem cells, but I believe we will need more time to reach it.

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Yes it is - but it is not even close so easy as we thought so at the beginning - we have forgotten that the affected hearing cells lose their further neural pathways all up to the hearing cortex. That's why hearing rehabilitation takes time... A lot.

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