Discovered the process of self-repair of damaged hearing cells.
Posted by giorgiobertin on July 7, 2023
The researchers of the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered how the cells that allow us to hear can repair themselves after being damaged, an insight that could benefit efforts to treat and prevent hearing loss.
UVA medical researchers have discovered that auditory “hair” cells damaged by loud noises and other stressors can repair themselves, a fact that could lead to new treatments. (Illustration by Emily Faith Morgan, University Communications).
Prolonged exposure to loud noise damages hair cells in a number of ways, one of which is by damaging the nuclei of the “hairs” themselves. These hair-like structures are known as stereocilia, and new research shows a process they use to repair themselves.
Hair cells unfold a protein called XIRP2, which can detect damage to nuclei made up of a substance called actin. The researchers found that XIRP2 first senses damage, then migrates to the site of damage and repairs nuclei by replenishing new actin.
Understanding and harnessing the internal mechanisms by which hair cells counteract wear and tear will be crucial in identifying ways to prevent age-related hearing loss.
Read the full text of the article:
Repair of noise-induced damage to stereocilia F-actin cores is facilitated by XIRP2 and its novel mechanosensor domain
Elizabeth L Wagner et al,
eLife (2023). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.72681
Source: University of Virginia School of Medicine
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This entry was posted on luglio 7, 2023 a 5:15 PM and is filed under News-search. Marked by tags: biochemistry, physiology, geriatrics, otolaryngology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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