The hair cells that reside in the cochlear sensory epithelium are the fundamental sensory structures responsible for understanding the mechanical sound waves evoked in the environment. The intense damage to these sensory structures may result in permanent hearing loss. The present strategies to rehabilitate the hearing function include either hearing aids or cochlear implants that may recover the hearing capability of deaf patients to a limited extent. Therefore, much attention has been paid on developing regenerative therapies to regenerate/replace the lost hair cells to treat the damaged cochlear sensory epithelium. The stem cell therapy is a promising approach to develop the functional hair cells and neuronal cells from endogenous and exogenous stem cell pool to recover hearing loss. In this review, we specifically discuss the potential of different kinds of stem cells that hold the potential to restore sensorineural hearing loss in mammals and comprehensively explain the current therapeutic applications of stem cells in both the human and mouse inner ear to regenerate/replace the lost hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons.

中文翻译：

---

基于干细胞的治疗方法可恢复哺乳动物的感音神经性听力损失。


存在于耳蜗感觉上皮中的毛细胞是负责理解环境中引起的机械声波的基本感觉结构。这些感觉结构的严重损伤可能会导致永久性听力损失。目前恢复听力功能的策略包括助听器或人工耳蜗，可以在一定程度上恢复聋人的听力能力。因此，开发再生疗法来再生/替换丢失的毛细胞以治疗受损的耳蜗感觉上皮受到了极大的关注。干细胞疗法是一种从内源性和外源性干细胞库中开发功能性毛细胞和神经元细胞以恢复听力损失的有前途的方法。在这篇综述中，我们特别讨论了不同种类的干细胞具有恢复哺乳动物感音神经性听力损失的潜力，并全面解释了干细胞目前在人类和小鼠内耳中再生/替代丢失的听力的治疗应用毛细胞和螺旋神经节神经元。