A new strategy to regenerate outer hair cells in the adult cochlea

Cochlear outer hair cells are our sound amplifiers, and the specific expression of the motor protein Prestin (Figure 1A , green) can significantly improve our sensitivity to external sound perception

Ikzf2 is a gene specifically expressed in the outer hair cells of the cochlea, and its functional mutations cause the development of outer hair cells

Figure 1 Regeneration of outer hair cells in the adult cochlea

In order to further determine the characteristics of newborn outer hair cells, Liu Zhiyong's research group conducted ultra-high resolution scanning electron microscopy (Figure 2A and B ) and single-cell transcriptome analysis (Figure 2C and D )

Under the guidance of researcher Liu Zhiyong from the auditory system development and regeneration research group, the work was mainly completed by PhD students Sun Suhong, Li Shuting and Luo Zhengnan

Doctoral student Wang Guangqin and staff member He Shunji participated in the preparation and analysis of mice

　Figure 2 Ultrastructure and transcriptome analysis of newborn outer hair cells