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Review
. 2023 Sep 7:17:1259889.
doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1259889. eCollection 2023.

Stem cells as potential therapeutics for hearing loss

Qiaojun Fang  1   2 , Yongjie Wei  1 , Yuhua Zhang  1 , Wei Cao  1 , Lin Yan  1 , Mengdie Kong  2 , Yongjun Zhu  1 , Yan Xu  1 , Lingna Guo  1 , Lei Zhang  1 , Weiqing Wang  1 , Yafeng Yu  3 , Jingwu Sun  4 , Jianming Yang  1
Affiliations
Review

Stem cells as potential therapeutics for hearing loss

Qiaojun Fang et al. Front Neurosci. .

Abstract

Hearing impairment is a global health problem. Stem cell therapy has become a cutting-edge approach to tissue regeneration. In this review, the recent advances in stem cell therapy for hearing loss have been discussed. Nanomaterials can modulate the stem cell microenvironment to augment the therapeutic effects further. The potential of combining nanomaterials with stem cells for repairing and regenerating damaged inner ear hair cells (HCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) has also been discussed. Stem cell-derived exosomes can contribute to the repair and regeneration of damaged tissue, and the research progress on exosome-based hearing loss treatment has been summarized as well. Despite stem cell therapy's technical and practical limitations, the findings reported so far are promising and warrant further investigation for eventual clinical translation.

Keywords: clinical trial; exosomes; hearing loss; nanomaterials; stem cells.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The timeline of major discoveries and breakthroughs in stem cell research.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Stem cell treatment for hearing impairment mechanisms. 1) ESCs are able to differentiate into that resemble SGNs, SCs, and HCs, offering potential replacement strategies. 2) A particular strategy can be realized by stimulating iPSCs from patients who have hearing loss for developing into HCLs. 3) A range of growth factors and cytokines are secreted by MSCs, which may help prevent hearing loss. 4) NSCs together with nanomaterials hold promise for protecting against hearing loss. 5) The inner ear precursor cells are capable of being stimulated to develop into HCs and SGNs, offering another avenue for regeneration. 6) Exosomes derived from stem cells demonstrate potential in preventing sensorineural hearing loss.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The potential use of exosomes in hearing protection: The schematic model shows the molecular composition of exosomes formed from stem cells, which include a wide range of cargo molecules, such as DNAs, RNAs, and proteins. Exosomes develop when the lipid bilayer membrane of MVBs undergoes an inward budding process. These MVBs can either be degraded by lysosomes or combined with the plasma membrane, releasing exosomes.
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