In this project, Sarah Hool at the University of Sheffield investigates how specialised cells, that energise the inner ear, could be involved in age-related hearing loss.
Project start date: October 2021
Project end date: September 2024
Read about the project outcomes here.
About the project
Age-related hearing loss is the most common sensory-related health condition in the elderly. When left untreated, people can become socially isolated and are prone to developing depression. The major obstacle to developing new treatments for this is a lack of understanding about why we progressively lose our hearing as we age.
In this project, Sarah will better understand the biological processes that lead to age-related hearing loss by looking at the specialised cells which help ‘power’ our sound-sensing cells of the inner ear, called hair cells.
How it works
Sound is detected by extremely sensitive sensory cells, named hair cells, which require a lot of energy to work continuously. This energy is provided by an extensive network of conduits that bring nutrients from the blood to the hair cells; this network is formed by specialised non-sensory cells.
The researchers’ previous work has identified key age-related changes in the way these non-sensory cells operate, which are likely to contribute to age-related hearing loss. In this project, Sarah will study aged mice that show signs of age-related hearing loss to understand why and how non-sensory cells are involved.
Sarah will investigate how the function of non-sensory cells changes during the ageing of the auditory system using state-of-the-art research techniques. They will also look at the impact of genetic changes on how these non-sensory cells work, and hearing, to understand how they may be linked to age-related hearing loss.
How will this research project benefit people at risk of hearing loss?
This project will identify genes and biological processes that may be directly involved in the development of age-related hearing loss. This information could be used in the future to develop better diagnostic tools and effective treatments for hearing loss.
What we’ve learned so far
Thanks to RNID funding, this study identified key molecules that are important for the function of the non-sensory cells, which change during cochlear ageing and may contribute to the progression of age-related hearing loss.
This work highlighted the crucial role of non-sensory cells in maintaining a healthy cochlea; this will help develop therapeutic strategies focused on improving or repairing the function of non-sensory cells to prevent or slow down the progression of hearing loss.
About the researcher
Dr Sarah Hool is a Research Associate in Professor Walter Marcotti’s lab at the University of Sheffield. She completed her RNID-funded PhD studentship in 2024.
hearing loss can have a range of negative effects on all areas of a person’s life. This can include communication difficulties leading to social isolation, or problems at work or finding jobs. Hearing can be a large part of a person’s life and I believe research into this area is very important.”
