The major research focus of our laboratories is on hair cell regeneration. Mammalian inner ear hair cells do not regenerate. As a consequence of damage to hair cells, and lack of available treatment, deafness and balance disorders are permanent in general. In lower vertebrate such as chick and fish, however, inner ear hair cells are regenerated by cell cycle re-entry of supporting cells/progenitor cells, and by transdifferentiation from supporting cells to hair cells. One approach to regenerating mammalian hair cells would be to activate endogenous inner ear stem cells by manipulation of genes involved in cell cycle or fate determination. However, no inner ear stem cells (IESC) genes have been identified, severely limiting the use of IESC as a source for hair cell regeneration. In these studies we will identify genes that are critical for IESC self-renewal and differentiation to hair cells.
Project Name: "Identification and analysis of inner ear stem cell genes
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