title: Neural stem/progenitor cell properties of glial cells in the adult mouse auditory nerve.
abstract: The auditory nerve is the primary conveyor of hearing information from sensory hair cells to the brain. It has been believed that loss of the auditory nerve is irreversible in the adult mammalian ear, resulting in sensorineural hearing loss. We examined the regenerative potential of the auditory nerve in a mouse model of auditory neuropathy. Following neuronal degeneration, quiescent glial cells converted to an activated state showing a decrease in nuclear chromatin condensation, altered histone deacetylase expression and up-regulation of numerous genes associated with neurogenesis or development. Neurosphere formation assays showed that adult auditory nerves contain neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPs) that were within a Sox2-positive glial population. Production of neurospheres from auditory nerve cells was stimulated by acute neuronal injury and hypoxic conditioning. These results demonstrate that a subset of glial cells in the adult auditory nerve exhibit several characteristics of NSPs and are therefore potential targets for promoting auditory nerve regeneration.
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: Hainan
authors: H
authors: Lang
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: Yazhi
authors: Y
authors: Xing
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: LaShardai N
authors: LN
authors: Brown
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: Devadoss J
authors: DJ
authors: Samuvel
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: Clarisse H
authors: CH
authors: Panganiban
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: Luke T
authors: LT
authors: Havens
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: Sundaravadivel
authors: S
authors: Balasubramanian
authors: Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Wegner
authors: Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: Edward L
authors: EL
authors: Krug
authors: Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States.
authors: Jeremy L
authors: JL
authors: Barth
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003056:Cochlear Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D006313:Hearing Loss, Central / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000473:pathology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*