Otitis media in the Tgif knockout mouse implicates TGFβ signalling in chronic middle ear inflammatory disease.

ABSTRACT: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the most common cause of hearing loss in children and tympanostomy to alleviate the condition remains the commonest surgical intervention in children in the developed world. Chronic and recurrent forms of OM are known to have a very significant genetic component, however, until recently little was known of the underlying genes involved. The identification of mouse models of chronic OM has indicated a role of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signalling and its impact on responses to hypoxia in the inflamed middle ear. We have, therefore, investigated the role of TGFβ signalling and identified and characterized a new model of chronic OM carrying a mutation in the gene for transforming growth interacting factor 1 (Tgif1). Tgif1 homozygous mutant mice

SUBMITTER: Tateossian H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3674796 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature