Millions of people around the world live with hearing loss. The inner ear, which allows us to hear, has very little ability to repair itself. Scientists currently use complex and time consuming models to study it. We are developing a simpler “inner ear on a chip” using tiny microfluidic devices. This model could make research faster and easier, helping us better understand hearing loss and, ultimately, develop new treatments.
reNEW research
At the Otobiology Lab at reNEW Leiden, we use iPSCs to grow tiny spheres called inner ear organoids, which mimic parts of the developing inner ear. We are now developing a more advanced model using a microfluidic chip that better mimics how the inner ear develops in an embryo. The chip creates a gradient of molecules, giving the cells the right signals at the right time to develop into inner ear cells.
Image description
iPSCs differentiating into non-neuronal ectoderm inside one of the microfluidic channels.
Credits
Dr. George Flamourakis, Post doctoral researcher, Locher lab, renew Leiden.
