Mice Reveal 38 New Genes Involved in Hearing Loss

A study of mutated mice published in PLOS Biology discovered 38 new genes related to hearing loss, describing the metabolic pathways and regulatory processes involved in hearing, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers engineered 1,211 new mouse mutants, and screened each via the auditory brainstem response to assess their hearing. Also analyzed was human DNA data to find if any of the 38 new genes were associated with human adult-onset hearing loss, with 11 having a significant link to hearing ability in the U.K. population. In addition, one gene, SPNS2, was associated with childhood deafness. "Only a handful of genes have previously been linked specifically to age-related hearing loss in adults, and now our study adds many more potential new genes to follow up," said the Wellcome Sanger Institute's Chris Lelliott. Additional analysis suggested hearing loss varies extremely, and possibly involves as many as 1,000 genes. "This emphasizes the value of mouse studies for identifying genes and mechanisms underlying complex processes such as hearing," noted the Wellcome Sanger Institute's Selina Pearson.