‘Chemical ear defenders’ could prevent hearing loss
By 
Rebecca Trager2020-02-12T14:30:00
Discovery of receptor connected to hearing loss has led to a chemical compound that can protect the neuromechanical machinery in mice’s ears
Hearing loss caused by loud or prolonged noise could be prevented by a compound that could act like a set of chemical ear defenders – without blocking out sounds altogether.
The cochlea is the ear’s hearing organ. It’s an intricate neuromechanical device. The two cell types responsible for getting the sensation of sound to the brain are hair cells – tiny projections from cell that move in response to sound vibrations, generating an electrical response – and neurons, which transmit the information from the hair cells to the brain.