Stem Cells the Key to Restoring Hearing

STEM CELL

Researchers at Keele University in North Staffordshire will be the first in the world to attempt to 'grow' new cells in the ear that become lost and damaged with age. Age-related hearing loss affects more than nine million people with over half of people aged 60 and above affected to some degree.

The researchers found that in some cases hearing begins to decline when fibrocytes, cells in the inner ear which usually manage levels of potassium and sodium, start to degenerate. Once these cells have died and no longer function correctly, other parts of the inner ear can become permanently damaged, leading to increased loss of hearing and possible deafness.

Dr Dave Furness, from Keele University’s school of life sciences, has been working for three years on a study funded by Deafness Research UK and The Freemasons Grand Charity to look into the causes of age related hearing loss. Now, Dr Furness and his PhD student Jacqueline Tickle have begun the next phase of the research, which will explore whether replacement fibrocytes and fibrocyte stem cells can be successfully grown and implanted into the ear.
 

If successful, the research could pave the way towards the prevention of age related hearing loss.
Dr Furness said: "We set out to explore why deafness occurs as a result of ageing and what we discovered was that fibrocytes, the part of the ear involved in managing fluid composition in the cochlea, do degrade due to old age.
"Once this happens, it not only causes hearing sensitivity to decrease, but has a knock-on effect on other parts of the inner ear. When these cells have stopped functioning properly, we think other parts of the inner ear begin to malfunction, leading to a gradual loss of hearing.
“If we can find a way to replace fibrocytes through stem cell therapy when they start to degenerate, but before other parts of the inner ear get damaged, we could potentially have found a way to prevent age related hearing loss.

“The second stage of our research is to do just that - grow fibrocytes in culture specifically to treat age related hearing loss. We’re still in the preliminary stages of the research, but are growing these cells successfully and the next stage will be to find a way to transplant them effectively into the ear.”
Head of Biomedical Research at Action on Hearing Loss, Dr Ralph Holme, said: “Hearing loss increases vulnerability to social isolation and depression, and demand to find a cure or treatments to protect hearing will only increase with our ageing population.
"This research could significantly add to our understanding of what causes age-related hearing loss and help towards the ultimate goal of being able to repair damaged tissue in the ear and restore hearing.”

The Epicenter of Global Warming...Greenland Disappearing

 

 

Scientists capture dramatic footage of Arctic glaciers melting in hours...... and massive lakes in the Arctic melting away in a matter of hours.

 



Watching the Arctic Disappear

 

 



Pritty Picher

Libya: Islamist militia bases stormed in Benghazi by citizens

At least four people have been killed in the Libyan city of Benghazi after military police and protesters took over militia bases. The violence followed a day of protests by tens of thousands of citizens demanding an end to the armed groups. The bases include the HQ of the Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia, suspected of involvement in an attack on the US consulate in the city. .

Protests against the film "Innocence of the Muslims" have been held across the Muslim world. At least 19 people died in Pakistan on Friday alone in clashes with police trying to stop protesters attacking US diplomatic buildings. Witnesses say supporters of Ansar al-Sharia lined up outside its Benghazi headquarters, in front of the crowd, waving black and white banners.

They fired into the air to try to disperse the protesters, but fled with their weapons after the base was surrounded by waves of people shouting "no to militias". However, in a standoff outside the headquarters of the Sahaty Brigade in the city, three people were killed and at least 20 injured according to witnesses and officials.

The two sides are said to have exchanged rocket and light arms fire for two hours before the brigade decided to move out. Protesters then set fire to one of the main buildings and pillaged a weapons depot, a journalist for AFP news agency at the scene reported. Another person was killed and another 20 injured in other incidents, city hospitals said.

Senior Libyan officials say that while they welcomed the protests, people should differentiate between the rogue militias and honest rebel brigades that helped to secure the town in last year's uprising against Col Muammar Gaddafi. Earlier, some 30,000 protesters marched through Benghazi calling for an end to the armed groups and a return to the rule of law.

 There has been a wave of hostility towards the militias since US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others Americans died in last week's attack on the Benghazi consulate.

"I don't want to see armed men wearing Afghani-style clothes stopping me in the street to give me orders, I only want to see people in uniform," said university student Omar Mohammed, who took part in the takeover of the Ansar al-Sharia compound.

Many Libyans have expressed outrage at the attack on the US consulate. Libya's interim government has since come under renewed and intense pressure to rein in well-armed extremist militia groups and force them to disband. Friday's march was the largest seen in Benghazi - considered the heartland of Libya's uprising - since Col Gaddafi was deposed.

Armed militia groups which helped to defeat Gaddafi remain powerful in many parts of the country.

They are better armed and more numerous than Libya's official army, and there have been reports of militias intimidating and carrying out killings against rivals.

But the good news is that the people of  Libya are sick and tired of the violence on both sides, and they are speaking up and taking a stand. The seeds of democracy have been planted

Dear Maxy ,

The "Maturing Too Fast" ( whose husband wanted their daughter to cut ties with a 9-year-old friend who had started her period) is on the right tract . Please use this as an opportunity to discuss the subject with her daughter !

For a variety of reasons , girls seem to be entering puberty sooner , and the better prepared the daughter is , the less traumatic it may be . Not allowing her to associate wirh her friend anymore is just strange ! Where is this dad coming from ?

Unfortunately with the subject ---I never had "the talk" from them .

I knew bascially nothing about sex or sexual maturity until I was rudley and horribly awakeened to it when I started being abused at age 9 by a trusted person . I had no clue what was going on , only that I thought it was probably wrong .

Not talking about things with your kids doesn't make the subject go away . It only makes it more likely to not include you in the loop of their life .

Been There

 

Dear Been There ,

Parents should talk to their children about their developing bodies , about boundaries , and about appropriate and in appropriate behavior . Creating dialogue when children are young helps them feel confident about talking to parents about anything as they mature .

Maxy

 

Dear Maxy ,

I went to a party and ran into a woman who had on the same dress as me . I was mortified . Worse still , she wanted to hang out with me all night and take pictures . No way .

I'm not a fashionista or anything , but I do like to have my own style .

Was I wrong not want to hang with her ? She's not my friend or anything . She was a guest at the event just like I was .

Body Double

 

Dear Body Double ,

I would be uncomfortable if I ran into someone dressed identically to me at a party , and I certainly wouldn't want to become her instant twin as a result . You were perfectly right to want to move on . It could be that the twinning was her way of dealing with an awkward situation .

Your choice to enjoy the party without her was a perfectly fine option as well .

Maxy

 

Dear Maxy ,

I am engaged to an intelligent beautiful , loving woman . We both work work full time and see eye-to-eye about everything . However , we are becoming increasingly frustrated with our four children when it comes to doing their laundry , putting away dirty dishes in the dishwasher , walking the dog , etc.

The kids are between 13 and 21 . We want them to take responsibility for their actions and take pride in their home . We have tried making lists and assigning tasks , punishments and rewards , to no avail . During our most recent conversation with the kids , one said , "It's too difficult to remember ." Another said , "You can't make us do it." Two of these kids are working . Any suggestions ?

Frustrated

 

Dear Frustrated ,

Some children need to be reminded to help around the house , and the reminder has to stick . Mom should tell them that neither you nor she is a servant and they all need to care more for their living space . Any children over 18 should be nicely encouraged to move into their own places , which will highlight their choices . The younger kids should have privileges restricted if they do not follow the house rules . But mom has to enforce these rules , or nothing will change .

Maxy

America but Better