Rows of tiny hairs in the ear detect sound
An injection of a drug led to the creation of new hairs in tests on mice.
Normal hearing was not restored, rather the mice went from hearing nothing to detecting sounds such as a door slamming or traffic.
Experts said it was "tremendously exciting" but warned treating humans was still a distant prospect
Most hearing problems are as a result of damage to these hairs.
The study, by Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School, looked at mice which were completely deaf and had virtually no hairs remaining in their ears.
A drug was used to target cells which normally support the individual hairs. It changed the destiny of the cells, by altering which genes were being used in the cells, to transform them into hair cells. . . . Dr Ralph Holme, head of biomedical research at the charity Action on Hearing Loss, said: "The idea that a drug could be used to 'trick' the cochlea into producing new hair cells to improve hearing is tremendously exciting and offers real hope to the millions of people seeking a cure for their hearing loss.
SOURCE BBC HEALTH
HII NI HATUA KUBWA SANA ILIYOFIKIWA. SASA MATUMAINI YAPO YA KUPATIKANA DAWA YA KUTIBU VIZIWI WENYE MATATIZO YA HAIR CELLS.
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