MSGID: 1:317/3 64acdb18   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Scientists discover natural repair process that fixes damaged hearing   
   cells    
      
     Date:   
         July 10, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Virginia Health System   
     Summary:   
         The findings could benefit efforts to develop new ways to treat   
         and prevent hearing loss, including age-related hearing loss.   
      
      
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   University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered how   
   the cells that let us hear can repair themselves after being damaged. That   
   important insight could benefit efforts to develop new and better ways   
   to treat and prevent hearing loss.   
      
   "Hair cells" found in the inner ear, are important both for our ability   
   to hear and our sense of balance. They are known as hair cells because   
   the cells are covered in hair-like structures that serve as mechanical   
   antennas for sound detection. When auditory hair cells are killed, as we   
   learn in school, they are gone for good. But the new UVA Health research   
   shows these delicate cells have the ability to repair themselves from   
   damage caused by loud noises or other forms of stress.   
      
   "For many years, auditory research has placed considerable emphasis on   
   the regeneration of sensory hair cells. Although these efforts continue,   
   it is equally important to enhance our comprehension of the intrinsic   
   mechanisms that govern the repair and maintenance of these cells. By   
   gaining a deeper understanding of these inherent repair processes, we   
   can uncover strategies to fortify them effectively. One such approach in   
   the future might involve the utilization of drugs that stimulate repair   
   programs," said researcher Jung-Bum Shin, PhD, of UVA's Department   
   of Neuroscience. "In essence, when replacement of hair cells proves   
   challenging, the focus shifts towards repairing them instead. This dual   
   strategy of regeneration and repair holds strong potential in advancing   
   treatments for hearing loss and associated conditions."  Hearing Repair   
   Hair cells are naturally fragile -- they must be delicate so they can   
   sense sound, but they also must withstand the continuous mechanical   
   stress inherent in their jobs.   
      
   Prolonged exposure to loud noise harms hair cells in a variety of ways,   
   and one of those is by damaging the cores of the "hairs" themselves. These   
   hair-like structures are known as stereocilia, and Shin's new research   
   shows a process they use to repair themselves.   
      
   The hair cells do this by deploying a protein called XIRP2, which has   
   the ability to sense damage to the cores, which are made of a substance   
   called actin. Shin and his team found that XIRP2 first senses damage, then   
   migrates to the damage site and repairs the cores by filling in new actin.   
      
   "We are especially excited to have identified a novel mechanism by which   
   XIRP2 can sense damage-associated distortions of the actin backbone,"   
   Shin said.   
      
   "This is of relevance not only for hair cell research, but the broader   
   cell biology discipline."  The pioneering work has netted Shin and his   
   colleagues more than $2.3 million from the National Institutes of Health,   
   grant R01DC021176, to fund additional research into how the cores are   
   repaired. By understanding this, scientists will be better positioned   
   to develop new ways to battle hearing loss -- even the kind that comes   
   from aging, the researchers say.   
      
   "Age-related hearing loss affects at least a third of all older adults,"   
   Shin said. "Understanding and harnessing internal mechanisms by which   
   hair cells counteract wear and tear will be crucial in identifying ways   
   to prevent age- related hearing loss. Furthermore, this knowledge holds   
   potential implications for associated conditions such as Alzheimer's   
   disease and other dementia conditions."  Findings Published The   
   researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal eLife.   
      
   The article is open access, meaning it is free to read.   
      
   The research team consisted of Elizabeth L. Wagner, Jun-Sub Im,   
   Stefano Sala, Maura I. Nakahata, Terence E. Imbery, Sihan Li, Daniel   
   Chen, Katherine Nimchuk, Yael Noy, David W. Archer, Wenhao Xu, George   
   Hashisaki, Karen B. Avraham, Patrick W. Oakes and Shin. The researchers   
   have no financial interest in the work.   
      
   The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health's   
   National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders,   
   grants R01DC014254, R56DC017724, R01DC018842, R01DC011835 and   
   1F31DC017370-01. Additional support was provided by the Owens Family   
   Foundation, the Virginia Lions Hearing Foundation, and a National Science   
   Foundation CAREER Award.   
      
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   University_of_Virginia_Health_System. Note: Content may be edited for   
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Elizabeth L Wagner, Jun-Sub Im, Stefano Sala, Maura I Nakahata,   
      Terence E   
         Imbery, Sihan Li, Daniel Chen, Katherine Nimchuk, Yael Noy,   
         David W Archer, Wenhao Xu, George Hashisaki, Karen B Avraham,   
         Patrick W Oakes, Jung-Bum Shin. Repair of noise-induced damage to   
         stereocilia F-actin cores is facilitated by XIRP2 and its novel   
         mechanosensor domain. eLife, 2023; 12 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.72681   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230710113811.htm   
      
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