We have now identified the first events that lead to proliferative hair cell regeneration in birds, which provides new leads that can be translated to mice and ultimately to humans.
Impact 2022
Hearing Health Foundation Mourns the Passing of Neil Segil, Ph.D.
Neil Segil, Ph.D., died peacefully in his sleep on July 2 at his home in California. He had been battling pancreatic cancer and was able to spend the last couple of months at home with his family. Neil’s contributions to science, HHF’s Hearing Restoration Project, and many colleagues’ careers were invaluable.
Increasing Our Understanding of Avian Hair Cell Regeneration
We provide evidence that in the regenerating basilar papilla, the expression of immune-related genes is tightly controlled, such that four days after damage, they are no longer expressed in newly regenerated hair cells. This is important because the JAK/STAT signaling pathway is highly potent, leading to inflammation, cytokine storms, and fibrosis.
Charity Talks
Brooke Dunefsky, a high school student in New York, recently approached us to be featured on her podcast Charity Talks. Last week she interviewed Timothy Higdon, our president and CEO, about Hearing Health Foundation: our mission, our two research programs (Emerging Research Grants and the Hearing Restoration Project), and our Keep Listening prevention program.
Impact 2021
Hearing Health Foundation is grateful for the support of our community to advance our mission to find better treatments and cures for hearing loss, tinnitus, and related conditions in 2021. We’re proud to share this list of significant scientific achievements this past year.
Understanding Hearing Loss From Noise Damage Through Gene Expression Changes
Findings suggest several FDA-approved drugs, such as a common diabetes medication and anesthetics, could protect from noise-induced hearing loss.
Specific Group of Cochlear Cells in Mice Demonstrate Regenerative Potential
A surprising finding of this project was that a specific group of cells, called the greater epithelial ridge (GER), contained the majority of cells capable of growing into organoids. This ability can be interpreted as a form of regenerative potential because the GER cells can multiply and generate new sensory hair cells.
New High-Tech Portal Launched to Speed Innovations to Reverse Hearing Loss
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) including Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) member Ronna Hertzano, M.D., PhD., launched a new online tool that could more quickly advance medical discoveries to reverse progressive hearing loss.
A Common Ancestor for Cells Involved in Hearing and Touch
The sensory cells in the inner ear and the touch receptors in the skin actually have a lot in common, according to a new study from the University of Southern California (USC) Stem Cell laboratory of Neil Segil, Ph.D., published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences.