An Ear For An Ear...

Gene therapy has the potential to restore hearing in mice, offering hope for humans too, US scientists suggest.

An Oregon team discovered gene transfer produced functioning hair cells that are essential for the inner ear to interpret sounds, Nature reports.

In people with normal hearing, cochlear hair cells convert sound into electrical signals, which are ultimately transmitted to the brain.

Once the cells are lost or damaged, they cannot be replaced naturally.

For the full-story, go here.

Side note: The images shown above and below are part of Moataz Nasr's award winning exhibition at the 8th International Cairo Biennale in Cairo, Egypt in 2001. The work is called "An Ear of Mud, Another of Clay", composed of a wall covered with sculptures in the shape of ears (made of dough and clay) and a video projected on the opposite wall. For more info on this exhibit and artist, including excerpts from art critics' articles on the piece, click here.