Research advances on umbilical cord blood derived mesenchymal stem cell in therapy of sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing loss（SNHL） is a difficult and hot issue in the field of otology. The effect of medications targeting the mechanism of SNHL are often unsatisfactory for hearing improvement. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are the mainstream treatment methods at present, but neither of them can reverse the pathological changes of affected inner ear. In recent years, mesenchymal stem cells transplantation has been confirmed by several animal studies and clinical trials to have great potential for clinical applications in restoring the structure of the inner ear and hearing improvement to some extent. In this review, we review the characteristics of umbilical cord blood derived mesenchymal stem cells（UCBMSCs）, the approaches of transplantation, the efficacy and mechanism of UCBMSCs in the treatment of SNHL, and the safety of clinical application, covering the existing problems and future prospects of this rising treatment.