Sox transcription factors play widespread roles during development; however, their versatile
funtions have a relatively simple basis: the binding of a Sox protein alone to DNA does not …

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit in humans. Despite the
global scale of the problem, only limited treatment options are available today. The …

The afferent innervation of the cochlea is comprised of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs),
which are characterized into four subtypes (Type 1A, B, and C and Type 2). However, little is …

Inner ear vestibular and spiral ganglion neurons (VGNs and SGNs) are known to play
pivotal roles in balance control and sound detection. However, the molecular mechanisms …

The balance between neural stem cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation is
paramount for the appropriate development of the nervous system. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is …

SOX2 is essential for maintaining neurosensory stem cell properties, although its
involvement in the early neurosensory development of cranial placodes remains unclear. To …

The development of therapeutic interventions for hearing loss requires fundamental
knowledge about the signaling pathways controlling tissue development as well as the …

In mammals, auditory information is processed by the hair cells (HCs) located in the cochlea
and then rapidly transmitted to the CNS via a specialized cluster of bipolar afferent …

Our molecular understanding of the early stages of human inner ear development has been
limited by the difficulty in accessing fetal samples at early gestational stages. As an …

The sense of hearing depends on a specialized sensory organ in the inner ear, called the
cochlea, which contains the auditory hair cells (HCs). Noise trauma, infections, genetic …