Stem Cell Therapy for Auditory Nerves?

A variety of injuries, illnesses and genetic disorders can cause damage to the auditory nerve, resulting in hearing loss for which hearing aids provide little or no help. Since sensory nerves have less capacity for recovery than motor nerves, such damage is often permanent and irreparable. The isolating effect of resulting deafness can be devastating. While there has been considerable progress on auditory brainstem implants, there is still a long way to go.
Some researchers have begun work on the prospect of stem cell treatment to repair damaged auditory nerves. See, e.g., “UCI Researcher Pinpoints Cause Of Inherited Auditory Neuropathy,” “Investigating a cell replacement therapy in the inner ear,” “Central migration of neuronal tissue and embryonic stem cells following transplantation along the adult auditory nerve,” and “Tissue Engineering: STEM CELLS”.
People who have lost hearing in both ears due to damage to auditory nerves face tough decisions about living with deafness, getting currently available treatments such as ABI which might preclude later stem cell treatment, or waiting years hoping clinically effective stem cell therapy.

The Shigley Law Firm represents plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases statewide in Georgia, and in other states subject to the multijurisdictional practice and pro hac vice rules in each state. Ken Shigley was designated as a “SuperLawyer” in Atlanta Magazine and one of the “Legal Elite” in Georgia Trend Magazine. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Chair of the Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute and former chair of the Georgia Insurance Law Institute. He particularly focuses on cases arising from truck wrecks and accidents (tractor trailers truck wrecks, semi truck wrecks,18 wheeler truck wrecks, big rig truck wrecks, log truck wrecks, dump truck wrecks).