NF-kappaB is required for survival of immature auditory hair cells in vitro.

ABSTRACT: Damage to auditory hair cells in the inner ear as a consequence of aging, disease, acoustic trauma, or exposure to ototoxins underlies most cases of hearing impairment. Because the mammalian ear cannot replace damaged hair cells, loss of hearing is irreversible and progressive throughout life. One of the current goals of inner ear biology is to develop therapeutic strategies to prevent hair cell degeneration. Although important progress has been made in discovering factors that mediate hair cell death, very little is known about the molecular pathway(s) that signal survival. Here we considered the role of NF-kappaB, a ubiquitous transcription factor that plays a major role in the regulation of many apoptosis- and stress-related genes, in mediating hair cell survival. NF-kappaB was detected

SUBMITTER: Nagy I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2504590 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature