Purpose
To provide an overview of the methodologies involved in the field of hair cell regeneration. First, a tutorial on the biotechnological foundations of this field will be provided in order to assist the reader in the comprehension and interpretation of the research involved in hair cell regeneration. Next, a review of stem cell and gene therapy will be presented and a critical appraisal of their application to hair cell regeneration will be provided. The methodologies used in these approaches will be highlighted.
Method
Narrative review of the fields of cellular, molecular, and developmental biology, tissue engineering, and stem cell and gene therapy using the PubMed database.
Results
The use of biotechnological approaches to the treatment of hearing loss, such as stem cell and gene therapy, has led to new methods of regenerating cochlear hair cells in mammals.
Conclusions
There have been incredible strides made in assembling important pieces of the puzzle that comprise hair cell regeneration. However, mammalian hair cell regeneration using stem cell and gene therapy are years if not decades away from being clinically feasible. If the goals of the biological approaches are met, these therapies may represent the future treatments for hearing loss.