Hearing Loss in Mice
Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München, led by Professor Martin Hrabé de Angelis, director of the Institute of Experimental Genetics have developed a mutant mouse possessing an RNA code which they believe to cause hearing loss over time.
A single base (miR-96) at this specific region has had an alteration to one of the thymine bases, and this has proven to cause hearing loss over time (in the degradation of hairs present in the hearing canals of ears) if altered on one strand of DNA. If occurring on both strands, the mutant type mice have impaired sensory hairs on the entirety of their bodies from birth, and also suffer from hearing loss as they age.
Named ‘Diminuendo’, mice in the experiment were not genetically altered after birth. Rather the chemical N-ethyl-N-nitrosurea was administered to the father mice before fertilisation, altering the DNA in their sperm.
Researchers hope that the advancement in the understanding of the genetic progressive deafness in mice will lead to treatment strategies of genetic deafness in humans, and will also help to aid in the prevention of degradation of the hairs in human’s ear canals that are necessary to maintain hearing levels.
http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Info/Press/gfx/021205_mouse_300.jpg
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147902.php
