Damage to the approximately 15,000 hair cells per ear is a leading factor contributing to hearing loss. A new technology demonstrated by a team at MIT,..
As we age, the hair cells in our ears — like the rest of us — slowly die (how’s that for a bummer of an opening). That damage to the approximately 15,000 hair cells per ear, which can be exacerbated by loud noise and some medication, is a leading factor contributing to hearing loss. And once those cells have been damaged, they don’t grow back naturally.
A new technology demonstrated by a team at MIT, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts Eye and Ear could help reverse some of that damage, mimicking some animals’ ability to regenerate the hair, potentially reversing hearing loss in the process.
