SUMMARY:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Dentistry have identified a novel source of stem cells that selectively differentiate towards auditory progenitors under appropriate conditions, for the treatment of both acute and chronic sensorineural hearing loss.
BACKGROUND:
Hearing loss is the most prevalent sensory disability in humans. In mammals, sensorineural hearing loss occurs due to permanent damage of the sensory epithelia of the inner ear, caused by factors including genetic diseases, birth abnormalities, infections, certain medications, aging, and exposure to loud noises. Although drug therapies such as corticosteroids and implantable auditory devices have shown limited success in treating acute hearing loss, there are currently no effective approaches for the treatment of chronic cases. Stem cell and gene therapy have recently emerged as promising strategies for the treatment of hearing loss. The selection of an appropriate stem cell source, scaffolding material, and growth factors, are crucial for proper stem cell differentiation and regeneration of the auditory system. An easily accessible source of neural and sensory cells would be a valuable tool for restoring the sense of hearing.
INNOVATION:
UCLA researchers have demonstrated the potential of gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) to differentiate into auditory progenitor cells in the presence of a three-dimensional scaffold and certain growth factors. GMSCs are easily accessible from oral tissue or discarded biological samples, and are characterized by high self-renewal and multipotent differentiation capacity. Further, these stem cells contain high levels of neural crest-derived stem cells with robust potential to differentiate toward neural cell lineages in a suitable microenvironment. The three-dimensional scaffold coupled with specific growth factors better mimics real in vivo environments, and allows for the selective induction of auditory progenitors from human GMSCs. The use of GMSCs as a source of neural and sensory cells is a novel approach for the regeneration of auditory cells to restore hearing loss.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
• Stem cell treatment of sensorineural hearing loss
ADVANTAGES:
• Three-dimensional scaffold and certain growth factors give GMSCs the potential to differentiate into auditory progenitor cells
• Addition of Matrigel and alginate hydrogel in the scaffold altered the previously reported mechanical properties of the alginate, such that they were more conducive to GMSC differentiation toward neural cell lineages
• GMSCs are abundant easily accessible from oral tissue or discarded biological samples
DEVELOPMENT TO DATE:
This invention has demonstrated efficacy both in vitro and in vivo, with successful GMSC differentiation into PAX8+PAX2+ progenitors.