AsianScientist (July 25, 2017) – A group of researchers at the University of Tokyo has demonstrated that a cellular process called autophagy is essential for healthy hearing in mice. Their results are published in the journal Cell Death and Disease.
During hearing loss, damage to the auditory hair cells in the ear is irreversible, thus making it imperative to maintain cell function to preserve hearing. However, there is currently a gap in our understanding of how auditory hair cells maintain their form and structure.
Autophagy is a key mechanism in cells which allows them to break down their own components to maintain a state of internal stability known as homeostasis. When researchers from the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Tokyo Hospital deleted a gene called autophagy-related 5 (Atg5) in mice, they observed damage in many auditory hairs in the ears of two-week old pups. This damage progressed further when the mice were examined at eight weeks after birth.
The current finding makes inroads for further research on the relationship between autophagy and hearing impairment.
“In recent years, experts have pointed out autophagy’s association with various pathological conditions, but the role of autophagy in the inner-ear hair cells was unknown. I hope this research will serve as an impetus and lead to the accumulation of new findings on the involvement of autophagy in the origin and development of hearing impairment,” said study co-author Assistant Professor Chisato Fujimoto.
The article can be found at: Fujimoto et al. (2017) Autophagy is Essential for Hearing in Mice.
———
Source: University of Tokyo; Photo: Chisato Fujimoto.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
