In this project, Dr Magdalena Zak at University College London investigates how hair cells in the cochlea develop, and how to replicate this process in a dish to replace damaged hair cells.
Project start date: October 2021
Project end date: December 2026
Aim of the project
Hair cells that grow in the inner ear can develop into two different types of cells – cochlear hair cells support hearing and vestibular hair cells support balance. Loss of cochlear hair cells is implicated in most forms of hearing loss, and they are therefore a major target of approaches to restore hearing.
However, cochlear hair cells are very difficult to grow in a dish or generate from stem cells; most current protocols in use generate hair cells that are more like vestibular hair cells. To reliably generate cochlear hair cells from stem cells, we need to better understand the molecular processes that tell a developing hair cell in the inner ear whether to become a cochlear or a vestibular hair cell.
In this project, Magdalena will test the role of two molecular processes, centred around proteins called Wnt and Hedgehog, in the development of inner ear hair cells.
How it works
Magdalena will monitor the activity of Wnt and Hedgehog signals in the inner ear to understand how they influence hair cells to develop in the cochlear or vestibular type. She will use genetic tools to interfere with these pathways, to see what happens when they are disrupted. She will then apply this knowledge to stem cell systems to find out if manipulating these processes can trigger development of cochlear hair cells.
How does this research benefit people with hearing loss?
Understanding more about this process can help researchers improve existing methods used to generate cochlear hair cells from stem cells in the lab. This will help develop new treatments in restoring these cells after damage, and in turn restore hearing.
Cochlear hair cells are vulnerable to damage from various causes, such as ageing, treatment with certain ototoxic drugs or exposure to loud noise and they cannot be replaced once they have died. Therefore, their loss, and the hearing loss that ensues, is permanent.
About the researcher
Dr Magdalena Zak, University College London, was awarded funding from RNID and Vivensa Foundation in 2021 for this project.
I always wanted to help in developing treatments that will make a difference in people’s lives. It is a very exciting project and I feel very motivated by the fact that the funding comes from people who care about the issue of hearing loss and put their trust in me and my research vision.”
