Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a genetic “barcoding” method to trace how stem cells in embryos become neurons and inner ear cells. By labeling early stem cells with a virus-based barcode, they followed their development and mapped the formation of the inner ear.
The study provides important insights into how hearing-critical cells arise from two main types of stem cells, offering potential clues for future hearing loss therapies. This approach also offers a detailed “family tree” of nervous system development, which could eventually reduce the need for animal testing.
According to Emma Andersson, lead researcher and docent at Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, the study shows how different cell types arise from stem cells in the embryo and are organized to create important structures in the brain. “We have created a family tree for the cells of the nervous system and the inner ear,” she explains.
The researchers used a technique where they injected a virus into mouse stem cells at an early stage of development, which contained a genetic barcode that was integrated into the DNA of the stem cells and then inherited as the cells divided. By following this code, the researchers could track how the cells developed into different types of neurons and cells in the inner ear.
The results showed that cells in the inner ear, crucial for hearing, develop from two main types of stem cells. This knowledge could lead to new treatments for hearing loss by tracing the origin and development of damaged cells.
The team plans to use this method to study other parts of the nervous system and explore how the rest of the body develops. They hope their work will lead to new insights and treatments for various genetic and developmental diseases, while reducing the need for animal testing.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/genetics-hearing-origin-28748