Stem Cell Fears

KOKI-TV in Tulsa offers a video commentary about stem cells and deafness (no captions). It's posted below on DeafNewsToday.com.

Marlee Matlin Speaks out

The Deaf community is reacting to a story we told you about Wednesday, where a potential break through in stem cell research could lead to the process being used on humans. You can see the story here. Actress Marlee Matlin offered a series of Tweets on the issue that included these comments:

• 'Deafness cure' is trending (on Twitter). My concern is that it's bigger than a 'trend.' It involves people & not as simple as the 4 letters in 'cure.' For those who think being deaf is a handicap, there are millions of Americans who sign, who are deaf, and are not a 'disease' to cure.

• "Think about this. What if someone told you that you could've been made different than the content person you are with genetics. Would you? Now think how millions of deaf people who lead productive lives, would feel when told that babies born deaf can be 'cured'."

• "Be proud of who you are, regardless of what people think is a 'handicap' or 'normal.' Normal is what you want to be. Don't let anyone tell you who or what you should be."

A link to another opinion from the UK from a partially deaf freelance reporter is here.

Stem Cell Breakthrough?

Deaf gerbils can hear again thanks to implanted human stem cells. This could be a step toward overcoming some causes of hearing loss in people, according to researchers led by Dr. Marcelo Rivolta of the UK's University of Sheffield. He says this could lead to using embryonic stem cells to repair the ear. If animal testing continue to show promise, human trials could begin within a few years. While a cochlear implant can help with some types of hearing loss, such as genetic disorders, prolonged exposure to high-decibel noise and infections like bacterial meningitis, the implant is practically useless if without the auditory nerve. Details are in the journal Nature. Read more here.

How Humans Hear

Sound entering the ear canal causes the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are picked up by three tiny bones in the middle ear that connect the drum to the cochlea, a snail-shell-like structure with three tubes filled with fluid. The resulting waves in the fluid signal hair cells in the cochlea that transmit electrical signals to the auditory nerve that connects to the brain stem. These signals then travel to the brain’s auditory center, where the message is processed.

Nasasl Cells Show Promise

Australian scientists say stem cells from the nose could benefit people who have had hearing loss in childhood stemming from genetic problems. Researchers are exploring whether replacing damaged cells with these stem cells can repair tissue and improve the survival of existing cells. Mice with hearing loss were given these stem cells with positive results. Sharon Oleskevich from the Hearing Research Group at The University of New South Wales is leading the study. Details are in the journal Stem Cells.

N-Touch

Sorenson Communications is launching an app called called N-Touch for Windows on PCs and Android on Mobile devices. Users will be able to use Sorenson's video relay regardless of whether they are on a PC or cell phone, provided they have one of those software systems in place. You can find out more here.

Hearing Aids and Cell Phones

The FCC is looking for consumer comments on its rules related to hearing aid compatible (HAC) cell phones. Since 2008, the agency has obligated wireless carriers and handset manufacturers to make and sell a certain percentage of compatible handsets. The FCC also requires a detailed annual report on the devices which have been offered during the previous year. The agency is now revisiting these rules to look at whether they are providing the help for the deaf that they are intended to provide. One concern is that, under the current rules, device that works in conjunction with hearing aids do not count for HAC compliance. So, the FCC wants to know:

• Are the FCC's HAC rules effectively and efficiently resulting in improved HAC handset availability with a wide range of features?
• Are the special compliance circumstances of smaller carriers being appropriately handled?
• Is the system effectively and efficiently gathering needed HAC information and disseminating it to those who need it?
• Are point of sale disclosure and testing requirements effective and useful?
• Do wireless headsets create any special problems?
• Are the Commission’s rules stimulating innovation and investment in HAC technology?

For more information, click here.

Creating Hair Cells

Scientists have said in recent years that stem cell research could lead to partial or complete cures for hearing loss. Researchers believe it is possible to take stem cells from the inner ear of discarded human fetuses to grow hair cells. The small sensory cells are essential for hearing. Up until now, there has been no treatmnet, medication or surgery to compensate for the loss of these cells. Because many people have moral objections to the use of cells taken from fetuses, an effort has been made to find another way to achieve the goal of growing new hair cells. Scientists at California's Stanford University say they've found one. Lead researcher Dr. Kazuo Oshima believes skin cells to create sensory hair cells. However, the technique may take a decade to perfect.

Stem Cell Research

British researchers say stem cells could help the deaf to hear again. They are the master cells that produce all the body's tissues and organs. University of Sheffield scientists say they've figured out how to make stem cells behave like sensory hair cells. They could potentially be be surgically inserted in the ear and restore lost hearing. The research is being conducted on animals and it may be along time before it will be offered to patients. More information on the work is in the journal Stem Cells.

Enhanced 911

Jackson, Mississippi is enhancing its 911 system to help callers with hearing loss. The new emgergy system adjustments will also cut down on response time for anyone calling from a cell phone. The next goal is to change the system so that callers can text their 911 emergencies.

Promising Stem Cell Research

Scientists at the UK’s University of Sheffield say cochlear stem cells from aborted fetuses may lead to the development of ways to regenerate or repair ear cells. They have been able to make them behave like delicate auditory hair cells. This is the first time they've been able to grow them in a lab. Even though human trials are several years away, this could lead to a way to repair damaged ears using these cells. Hair cells bend in response to sound, generating electrical signals that are sent to the brain. The researchers were also able to come up with another recipe that created auditory neurons which serve as a go-between, receiving signals from the hair cells and transmit them to the brain. Details of the study are in the journal Stem Cells.

Explaining Cochlear Implants?

A cochlear implants is surgically placed in the inner ear and connected to a receiver placed around the ear. It picks up sound and transmits it as electrical impulses to the brain. The way the receiver does this is through a processor. It converts audio streams into digital data. The data then goes to another chip where the data is translated into electrical impulses. The electrical impulses are then passed down an electrode, which stimulates a nerve that causes the brain hear sounds. The implant system effectively bypasses the damaged sound-detecting hair cells an directly stimulates the auditory nerve. They are of no help to people with a damaged cochlea or auditory nerve.

Growing Hair Cells

Scientists at England’s University of Sheffield say they’ve come up with a way to grow hair cells using stem cells. The researchers were able to grow these stem cells in the laboratory and encourage them to turn into hair cells. They hope this will lead to cell transplants for those with sensorineural hearing loss – one of the most common forms of deafness. We’re about a decade away from seeing human patients receive stem cell transplants, though new drugs may be developed sooner based on these findings.

Emergency Alert System

Deaf Link has come up with system that sends out emergency alerts in American Sign Language which can be picked up through email, pagers, cell phones (if the device has text capability) and PDAs (with email capability). The company already provides video remote and pre-recorded interpreting systems for government officials to communicate with the deaf during emergencies. Now, the Accessible Hazard Alert System is available just for signing up online. Users simply provide an e-mail address, text pager address or information about other assistive capable devices, along with an physical address. Here is where you sign up.

Brain Cells May Restore Hearing

Some US scientists say a transplant of brain cells might be used to repair damaged hearing in the elderly. These stem cells act like inner ear hair cells and can reproduce. About a tenth of aging hearing loss comes from damage to inner hair cells. Details are in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The BBC has more information on the research in this article.

Stem Cell Research

Stem cells may repair cochlear damage that causes hearing loss. That’s the finding of Italian researchers. Details are in the current issue of Cell Transplantation.

Cochlear Implants

A cochlear implants is surgically placed in the inner ear and connected to a receiver placed around the ear. It picks up sound and transmits it as electrical impulses to the brain. The way the receiver does this is through a processor. It converts audio streams into digital data. The data then goes to another chip where the data is translated into electrical impulses. The electrical impulses are then passed down an electrode, which stimulates a nerve that causes the brain hear sounds. The implant system effectively bypasses the damaged sound-detecting hair cells an directly stimulates the auditory nerve. They are of no help to people with a damaged cochlea or auditory nerve.