A comparison of in vitro treatments for directing stem cells toward a sensory neural fate

Abstract

Purpose: Low numbers of primary auditory neurons (ANs) may compromise the clinical performance of a cochlear implant. The focus of this research is to determine whether stem cells can be used to replace the ANs lost following deafness. To successfully replace these neurons, stem cells must be capable of directed differentiation into a sensory neural lineage in vitro and, subsequently, of survival and integration into the deafened cochlea. Materials and Methods: In this study, we compared three in vitro treatments for directing the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells toward a sensory neural fate using neurotrophins, conditioned media from early post-natal cochlear epithelium, or med..