Scientists Restore Hearing in Noise-Deafened Mice, Pointing Way to New Therapies

Scientists have restored the hearing of mice partly deafened by noise, using advanced tools to boost the production of a key protein in their ears.

“It has become apparent that hearing loss due to damaged ribbon synapses is a very common and challenging problem, whether it’s due to noise or normal aging,” says Gabriel Corfas, Ph.D., who led the team and directs the U-M institute. “We began this work 15 years ago to answer very basic questions about the inner ear, and now we have been able to restore hearing after partial deafening with noise, a common problem for people. It’s very exciting.”

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I see this helping the elderly, as well as members of the armed forces who were around artillery blasts...

This is exciting.
Would like to hear birds again.

awesome!
let's hope a solution for humans is quickly found.
if only we donated 5% more to research stuff like this would be over the counter.

a reply to: Musing

I wonder if this would stop my horrible tinnitus, since my doc tells me it is the brain's response to missing those frequencies my ears no longer pick up. I can hope.

S&F for the OP for the great find and a star to each poster here........this is really really exciting news if it proves to be usable for humans.

I sure would like to hear again!

Regards, Iwinder

originally posted by: wtbengineer
a reply to: Musing

I wonder if this would stop my horrible tinnitus, since my doc tells me it is the brain's response to missing those frequencies my ears no longer pick up. I can hope.

I too suffer from that never ending Hoover Vacume running day in and day out in my head. I can relate to your problem.

Regards, Iwinder

originally posted by: badgerprints
This is exciting.
Would like to hear birds again.

Me as well, I'm down to crows now and that is not a pleasing lilt to hear:-)
Regards, Iwinder

originally posted by: IShotMyLastMuse
awesome!
let's hope a solution for humans is quickly found.
if only we donated 5% more to research stuff like this would be over the counter.

Correct you are, just imagine if we had no wars going on and all the monies went to health research?

Regards, Iwinder

a reply to: Iwinder

Thanks brother! I hope for the both of us, not to mention the millions of others suffering with this, that there's hope down the line!