Therapeutic potential of neurotrophins for treatment of hearing loss

Degeneration of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and hair cells in the cochlea induced by aging, injury, ototoxic drugs, acoustic trauma, and various diseases is the major cause of hearing loss. Discovery of growth factors that can either prevent SGN and hair-cell death or stimulate hair-cell regeneration would be of great interest. Studies over the past several years have provided evidence that specific neurotrophins are potent survival factors for SGNs and protect these neurons from ototoxic drugs in vitro and in vivo. Current research focuses more on understanding the mechanism of hair-cell regeneration/differentiation and identification of growth factors that can stimulate hair-cell regeneration. SGNs are required to relay the signal to the central nervous system even when a cochlear implant is used to replace hair-cell function or in the case that cochlear sensory epithelium can be stimulated to regenerate new hair cells successfully. Therefore, neurotrophins may have their therapeutic value in prevention and treatment of hearing impairment.