In today's AAAS briefing about hearing loss, scientists talked about how a future treatment could combine stem cells with ear-recharging.
Yes, you read that correctly. Some people with hearing loss need to have the natural batteries in their ears "jumped" through the passage of a current, said Richard Schmiedt of the Medical University of South Carolina. And no, this isn't what a cochlear implant does.
Studies in animals have suggested that an electrode can indeed recharge the ear's battery, but the surgery itself can be problematic. "The brute force technique of putting an electrode in the inner ear is a more invasive procedure than the cochlear implants," he said.
Combined with stem cell treamtents, however, a battery "jump" could restore hearing, he said.
