Inner Ear Organoid as a Preclinical Model of Hearing Regeneration: Progress and Applications

Hearing loss is one of the most common health problems and there is no suitable way to regenerate up to now. However, if the mechanism can be clearly clarified, physiological auditory regeneration may be a possibility. Organoids, artificially generated by pluripotent stem cells under three-dimensional (3D) culture system, are now considered attractive options for constructing different 3D models to study auditory regeneration and the potential mechanisms in vitro. Organoids are essentially miniature 3D models of specific organs or tissues, enabling scientists to investigate the causes of diseases, test new drugs, and explore personalized medicine within a controlled laboratory setting. Recent discoveries have demonstrated that stem cell-derived organoids can mimic environments in vivo and provide invaluable information for modeling cochlea micro-environment. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the progress achieved in inner ear organoids as a preclinical model, aiding our understanding and providing a more effective approach to addressing hearing loss.