Can tiny hair cells reverse deafness?
A CURE for deafness could be on the horizon after scientists created specialised ear cells in the lab. Grown in their thousands, the delicate hairs could one day be transplanted into the inner ear, restoring the hearing of millions. The breakthrough comes after ten years of painstaking research. It may also allow some balance disorders to be eased and aid the search for drugs to prevent people from becoming hard of hearing. More than 50 per cent of pensioners are affected by hearing loss and there is currently no way of holding it at bay. Hearing aids amplify sounds but nothing can give sufferers back the hearing they once had.
