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The Mouse Round-window Approach for Ototoxic Agent Delivery: A Rapid and Reliable Technique for Inducing Cochlear Cell Degeneration
Published on: November 26, 2015
Nuclear entry of hyperbranched polylysine nanoparticles into cochlear cells.
Weikai Zhang1, Ya Zhang, Marian Löbler
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tampere, Medical School, Finland.
International Journal of Nanomedicine
|April 7, 2011
Summary
Hyperbranched polylysine nanoparticles (HPNPs) show potential for treating hearing loss by entering cochlear cells. These nanoparticles successfully delivered genes in both lab and animal studies, offering a promising nonviral gene therapy vector.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Gene therapy offers potential for sensorineural hearing loss.
- Nonviral nanoparticles are promising gene delivery vectors.
- Limited nuclear localization in cochlear cells restricts current applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate nuclear entry of hyperbranched polylysine nanoparticles (HPNPs).
- Assess HPNPs for gene delivery to cochlear targets.
Main Methods:
- Treated rat cochlear cells and explants with HPNPs.
- Administered HPNPs to rat round window membranes in vivo.
- Used confocal microscopy to observe subcellular distribution.
Main Results:
- Observed nuclear entry of HPNPs in cochlear cells (in vitro and in vivo).
- HPNPs distributed in modiolus, spiral ganglion, organ of Corti, and lateral wall tissues.
- Demonstrated efficient HPNP internalization and higher transfection efficiency than Lipofectamine.
Conclusions:
- HPNPs show potential for nuclear entry in cochlear cells.
- HPNPs are a promising carrier for cochlear gene delivery.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Hair Cells
Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
01:15Auditory Pathway
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
01:13The Cochlea
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.