Deafness is a progressive and irreversible condition in humans. A European study investigated the possibility of inducing regeneration of the inner ear cells to treat deafness.
Deafness due to disease, ageing, or birth defects is caused by loss of hair cells in the inner ear, the structure responsible for the detection of equilibrium and sound. Currently, there are no treatments to restore lost hair cells and the gold standard entails the use of hearing aids.
Further information: Hair cell regeneration for deafness