Inner ear embryogenesis and regeneration

Sensory hair cells (HC) of the inner ear are susceptible to damage from a variety of sources including ageing, genetic defects, noise or chemotherapeutic drugs. As the adult mammalian cochlea lacks regenerative capacity, the consequence of this damage in humans is permanent and results in hearing loss. Since the discovery that hair cells can regenerate in birds, a wide range of studies have been designed in order to understand this process. At the same time efforts have been made to identify the steps in mammalian hair cell development. The aim of this paper is to re-examine recent research on mammalian HC development and avian HC regeneration, as this process could help in understanding possible future directions and targets of mammalian inner ear regeneration.