Sestrin2 plays a protective role in age-related hearing loss by inhibiting NLRP3-inflammasome activity

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is an auditory disease characterized by gradual loss of high-frequency hearing sensitivity. Excessive reactive oxygen species trigger NLRP3-inflammasome activation that may be crucial for ARHL pathogenesis. The antioxidant factor Sestrin2 (SESN2) has been reported to be involved in the remission of oxidative stress and ARHL. However, the mechanism by which SESN2 protects auditory cells in the aging mouse cochlea remains unknown. Here, we observed that ectopic overexpression of SESN2 delayed ARHL, whereas SESN2 knockdown accelerated it. Importantly, we elucidated that SESN2 exerts a hearing-protective effect by inhibiting the production of NLRP3 by acting as a mitophagy agonist. Our study proposes a new theoretical basis for SESN2 prevention of ARHL and provides a novel therapeutic strategy for maintaining SESN2 activity in the aging cochlea.