Stem Cell-Based Hair Cell Regeneration and Therapy in the Inner Ear

The document discusses the urgent need for new treatments for sensorineural hearing loss, which is primarily caused by the irreversible loss of hair cells. Current treatments like cochlear implants and hearing aids offer limited benefits. The article reviews the mechanisms of hair cell regeneration, focusing on the activation of hair cell progenitors through multiple signaling pathways and transcriptional factors. It highlights therapeutic strategies that involve co-regulating these pathways to regenerate functional hair cells. The document also explores future approaches, including small molecule drugs and gene therapy, for clinical application in hair cell regeneration.