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Ear implants can help restore auditory nerves
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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For the first time in medical practice, specialists used a cochlear implant for gene therapy of hearing. This device allows you to restore the auditory nerves, which ultimately significantly improves hearing. However, according to experts, this method can be used not only for hearing correction, but also for the treatment of neurological and mental illnesses.
The gene therapy method involves delivering neurotrophin (a protein important for the development and proper functioning of neurons) to the hearing organs. This method was quite difficult for specialists, since it was impossible to deliver neurotrophins using drugs. Therefore, scientists decided to use cochlear implants for these purposes.
The implant emits electrical impulses that deliver DNA to cells to stimulate the production of neurotrophins. The implant consists of two parts - an internal and an external one. The internal part is equipped with a transmitter that is implanted in the mastoid bone behind the ear and electrodes that are connected to the cochlea. The external part contains a microphone and a speech processing unit. Any sound that is captured by the external part is transmitted via electrical signals through the electrodes to the internal part, where the auditory nerves are stimulated and a signal is sent to the brain, perceived as sound. At the same time, the gene therapy method starts the process of restoring auditory cells.
As a result, a person gains the ability to hear a significant range of sounds. As a result of a two-month study of the new device, the production of neurotrophins decreased, but changes in the auditory nerves can be maintained with the help of an implant that provides neural activity.
Leading specialist Jim Patrick, who also provided financial assistance to the research project, noted that cochlear devices have quite a bright future, and now more than 300 thousand people use them around the world. One of the authors of the research project, Gary Housley, also noted that people using hearing aids have a lower range of sound perception, so they cannot, for example, fully enjoy music. Therefore, the new cochlear device should help people with hearing problems to hear more sounds around them.
When installing a cochlear device, the surgeon will place a DNA solution into the cochlea of the inner ear, after activating electrical impulses, the DNA transfer process will be launched. However, this technique is suitable not only for hearing correction. For example, scientists suggest that it can be used to treat other disorders, such as depression or Parkinson's disease. According to scientists, the use of such gene therapy is safer and has a targeted effect.
Gene therapy could be used to treat serious neurological disorders, effectively delivering genes to tissues (including the brain) with minimal side effects. An Oxford research team has previously reported that gene therapy could be used successfully to restore vision in people who are blind.
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