In this project, Professor Karen Steel at King’s College London explores whether restoring the function of a damaged gene can help improve ‘strial’ hearing loss.
Project start date: April 2026
Project end date: March 2027
About the project
One common type of progressive hearing loss (hearing loss that gets worse with time), is caused when a part of the inner ear called the ‘stria vascularis’ no longer works properly. The stria vascularis generates an electrical potential which gives the sound-sensing cells of the cochlea the energy they need to convert sounds into signals that the brain can understand. The stria vascularis works like a ‘battery’, providing the cochlea with energy.
This type of progressive hearing loss, called ‘strial’ hearing loss, is particularly common as people age, and yet there are no available treatments for this condition.
Professor Karen Steel aims to test whether strial hearing loss can be treated by restoring the function of damaged genes. Having previously successfully tested one gene, this project aims to test another one: the ‘Scl4a10’ gene. This will provide strong evidence that strial hearing loss might be treatable.
How it works
The researchers will activate the Scl4a10 gene in their mouse model to restore its normal function. They hope to discover whether this will improve cochlear function and restore hearing in mice that previously had strial hearing loss.
As well as measuring hearing in their mouse models, they will also examine how restoring Scl4a10 function affects the structure of the cochlea. This investigation is not possible in people, but it is essential for understanding exactly how hearing can be recovered and guiding the development of safe and effective treatments for humans.
How will this research support people with hearing loss?
If successful, this project will not only enhance our understanding of the biological processes underlying strial hearing loss but also pave the way for new gene therapy or drug treatments for hearing loss. This innovative research has the potential to significantly impact the lives of individuals with hearing loss, offering hope for effective treatments and improved quality of life within the next five to ten years.
Why it matters
Researchers have previously shown that strial hearing loss could be reversed in mice where the hearing loss was caused by damage to a gene called ‘Spns2’ by re-activating the damaged gene. However, this exciting finding may only apply to that specific gene. It’s therefore important for researchers to test other genes, too.
About the researcher
Karen Steel is Professor of Sensory Function at King’s College London and was awarded the RNID Innovation Seed Fund in 2026.
“RNID funding has been critical to getting this ambitious project started. As such a large proportion of hearing loss occurs in adults, making progress in developing generic treatments for progressive hearing loss based on the type of cells affected in the inner ear would make a huge impact in our ability to stop or reverse declining hearing function. This is something I hope my research will achieve over the next few years.”
