日本京都大学的研究人员利用源自老鼠皮肤的诱导多功能干细胞（iPS细胞）培育出听神经祖细胞，专家认为这将有助于治疗因听神经数量减少导致听力障碍的患者。
京都大学的两位教授――伊藤寿一和山中伸弥率领一个研究小组对利用老鼠皮肤细胞制造的iPS细胞进行培养，得到了听神经祖细胞。此后，他们将听神经祖细胞移植入一只新生幼鼠的内耳耳蜗。
一个月以后，移植的多数细胞不断发育成熟，进而构成了螺旋神经节。而螺旋神经节――这种听神经的减少或消失会导致听力障碍。
这个研究小组此前曾利用胚胎干细胞成功培育出听神经祖细胞，并将其移植给听神经受损的老鼠，改善了老鼠的部分听力。iPS细胞可利用患者本人的体细胞来培养，能避免排异反应和伦理问题。因此日本专家认为，上述成果有助于治疗因听神经数量减少导致听力障碍的患者。
此次实验还表明，来源不同的iPS细胞有的会发育成肿瘤细胞，因此上述研究小组将今后的重要课题确定为选出合适的iPS细胞，并将其准确地培养成神经祖细胞。
生物谷推荐原始出处：
NeuroReport 23 September 2009 doi: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e32832ff287
Transplantation of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells into the cochlea
Nishimura, Koji; Nakagawa, Takayuki; Ono, Kazuya; Ogita, Hideaki; Sakamoto, Tatsunori; Yamamoto, Norio; Okita, Keisuke; Yamanaka, Shinya; Ito, Juichi
This study examined the potential of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for use as a source of transplants for the restoration of auditory spiral ganglion neurons. We monitored neurite outgrowth from iPS cell-derived neural progenitors toward cochlear hair cells ex vivo, and followed their survival and fates after transplantation into mouse cochleae in vivo. Neurons derived from iPS cells projected neurites toward cochlear hair cells. The settlement of iPS cell-derived neurons was observed 1 week after transplantation into the cochlea. Some transplants expressed vesicular glutamate transporter 1, which is a marker for glutamatergic neurons. These findings indicate that iPS cells can be used as a source of transplants for the regeneration of spiral ganglion neurons.
