A breakthrough could lead the way to treatments that regrow inner ear cells we otherwise cannot regenerate, thereby reversing hearing loss.

Humans are born with 30,000 hair cells in each ear. When the cells are lost or damaged – possibly due to exposure to excessive loud noise or injury – it can lead to permanent hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Damage to hair cells may also affect balance, causing symptoms of vertigo and dizziness. Regenerating the sensory hair cells of the inner ear has been the holy grail of deafness research.

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