Genetics of noise-induced hearing loss in the mouse model

Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit worldwide, with the majority of preventable injury attributed to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Highly conserved cochlear genetics between humans and mice have made this animal model a high-yield candidate for better characterizing the biologic and genetic underpinnings of human NIHL. This review aims to summarize advances in understanding the genetics of noise-induced hearing loss in mouse models dating from the early 1990s. We review the genetic mechanisms underpinning NIHL as understood in the mouse model, including histopathological and phenotypic associations, molecular and cellular mechanisms of changes in cochlear structures, synaptopathy and neuropathy, and transcriptomics. We describe variations in pathophysiology of hearing loss between mouse strains, with particular emphasis on susceptibility of different strains to different mechanisms of damage after acoustic trauma, and the potential of novel targeted therapeutic approaches for NIHL based on understanding of genetic mechanisms. Finally, we review the current state of research on the cochlear transcriptome after noise exposure in the mouse and implications for translation of these findings to humans.