A New Trend in Helping People Hear- The Zebrafish
Can you hear me now? The popular phrasal idiom that has been used numerous times in Verizon Wireless commercials may mean more to some people than others. It is estimated that one out of every ten people in the United States suffers from some form of hearing impairment. Scientists are eagerly working on different methods of restoring hearing and finding a cure.
It has been found that the most common form of hearing impairment is caused by tiny little hair cells that grow on the inside of the ear canal. Unlike other cells in the individual body, once these cells die off, they do not grow back. Scientists at the University of Washington have found an aquatic life form that has similar hair cells, which can regenerate themselves when needed. This aquatic life form is called the zebrafish and researchers hope that they can use it to find out how to make hair cells in the ears of humans regenerate.
It was once thought that no other warm blooded animal had these tiny hair cells that could imitate themselves. Then it was realized that hair cells in birds were able to replicate in order to replace dead cells. It was then noticed that song birds who lost these hair cells would stop singing, but then start to sing again once the cells were regenerated. This gave researchers an idea about how these little hair cells affect a person’s ability to hear.
Researchers are now using stem cells and attempting to turn them into hair cells. Stem cells have the ability to develop into other various types of cells. If the stem cells are placed into the ear canal, it is thought that they would transform and start to duplicate. Other researchers are concentrating on getting the hair cells that we already have to mimic how the cells work in other warm blooded animals. The zebrafish has all of the right qualities that the researchers need, which is why they have been studying it.
Researchers are also using dyes and chemicals on the zebrafish to see if hair cells stay alive or die out while coated in the chemicals. If the hair cells are still living where the chemical has been applied, but has died out in other areas, then these chemicals could possibly help aid in finding a cure for hearing impairments in humans. It is also hoped that studies such as these will allow researchers to be able to prevent hearing impairments from occurring in patients who receive chemotherapy.
Zebrafish research is only one study out of several that are currently being done to try and cure hearing problems. A person who is unable to hear is missing out several qualities and life and it can also affect speech. Figuring this out would be a great breakthrough in the medical field and give millions of people around the world the opportunity to hear. As current medical treatments only go so far, this health trend is one that will be interesting to keep an eye on.