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Ménière's Mystery
09 November 2014

Ménière's Mystery

Ménière’s disease damages the inner ear causing hearing loss and vertigo. But despite being described in 1861, its root remains unclear. It’s thought that a third of cases are caused by a viral infection triggering an autoimmune response, damaging the cells. Unlike birds, we can’t regenerate cells in our inner ear; therefore, cell damage is likely to be permanent. Currently there’s no cure, but gene therapy – using a harmless virus to insert genes like those responsible for regeneration in bird’s ears into human cells – is being investigated. Here, fluorescence microscopy shows cell structures – sensory and supporting – of the inner ear tissue (red). On the right, and underneath viewed side-on, sensory cells are highlighted in blue, and in green are those that have successfully received the new gene. Getting sensory cells to incorporate relevant genes may one day be a means to cure or alleviate problems of the inner ear.

Written by Katherine Hardy

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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