Researchers Repair Hearing Loss in Mice

Went to one too many Guns N' Roses concerts in your youth? Having trouble hearing your friends and family as you age? Researchers are suggesting that you don't necessarily need to get a hearing aid. Experts may be able to simply restore your hearing, good as new.

That's at least according to a study recently published in the journal eLife, which details how researchers were able to restore hearing in noise-deafened mice.

According to the Hearing Health Foundation, nearly 50 million Americans will experience notable hearing loss in their lifetime. Twenty-six million Americans older than 20 years old will find themselves unable to hear high frequencies in particular as a result of noise exposure, and nearly half of all adults past the age of 75 have lost their hearing. Stunningly, one in five teenagers also has already experienced some kind of hearing loss.

"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," study author Gabriel Corfas explained in a recent statement. "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."

Corfas and his colleagues were reportedly able to do this after identifying a protein called Neurotrophin-3 (NT3) in mice. They found that this protein plays a key role in communication between the ears and brain - forming a connection the researchers call the "ribbon synapse." However, age and intense wear can interfere with this protein production, leading to hearing loss.

To correct for this, the researchers essentially rebooted NT3 production using a drug called tamocifen. Deafened mice who had their NT3 production boosted were found to regain their hearing in a mere two weeks.

Now, says Corfas, his team will explore the role of NT3 in human ears, and seek drugs that might boost NT3 action or production. While the use of such drugs in humans could be several years away, the new discovery gives them a specific goal to work towards.