Released on: September 23, 2008, 8:22 am

Press Release Author: BeyondPR

Industry: Healthcare

Press Release Summary: New research published today in the journal Current Biology
has added significantly to our understanding of how the ear works, giving hope to
millions of deaf and hard of hearing people.

Press Release Body: The latest research, conducted by Dr Joerg T Albert, a Deafness
Research UK research fellow at the UCL Ear Institute, together with scientists at
the University of Cologne, shows that fruit flies have ears which mechanically
amplify sound signals in a remarkably similar way to the sensory cells found in the
inner ear of vertebrates including humans. The finding means that the wealth of
genetic techniques already available to study the fruit fly can now be used to
target how the ear works.

Dr Albert says, “The biophysical parallels between the ways both fruit flies and
humans convert sound into nerve signals are truly amazing. We may be allowed to hope
that these mechanistic similarities extend further down to the genes and molecules
that bring about hearing. But even if it finally should turn out that hearing in
fruit flies relies on different molecules than does hearing in humans, the little
fruit fly can help us find answers to some key questions of hearing research and –
what is sometimes even more important – will surely help us ask the right
questions.”

The work is welcomed by Deafness Research UK, the country’s only medical research
charity for deaf people. Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK,
says: “This is an important advance that paves the way toward a clear understanding
of the genetics of deafness.

The charity will continue to support cutting-edge research through its Fellowship
programme at the UCL Ear Institute and at other top research centres in the UK to
achieve our goal of securing radical improvements in the prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of all forms of hearing impairment”.
There are nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK and in most cases
deafness results from loss of sensory cells in the inner ear known as “hair” cells.
The cells can be damaged and lost through ageing, noise, genetic defects and certain
drugs and, because the cells don’t regenerate, the result is progressive - and
irreversible - hearing loss. Damage to these cells can also lead to tinnitus which
affects around 5 million people in the UK.
Björn Nadrowski, Jörg T. Albert and Martin C. Göpfert report a mathematical model of
the process, known as transduction, used by Drosophila melanogaster (the fruit fly)
to transform mechanical energy from sound waves into electrical signals. In
vertebrates this transduction is performed by hair cells which send the electrical
signals on to the brain where they are understood as sounds. However, there are
important structural differences between the inner ear of vertebrates and
invertebrates like the fruit fly. These differences have lead researchers to believe
that transduction must work on different principles.

The research team compared real data – from measurements of the amount of cochlear
amplification found in the fruit fly inner ear – to the output of their model and
found that around 20 transducers per sensory cell are enough to describe the real
data accurately. This is the same as the number of “hairs” on a hair cell. Their
results both describe the hearing organ comprehensively and open up the field of
deafness research to Drosophila genetics. By manipulating the genes which control
the transducers, scientists can identify which molecules are involved in allowing
hair cells to send signals to higher brain centres.
ENDS
Photograph and caption
Vivienne Michael, CEO of Deafness Research UK

About Deafness Research UK
• Deafness Research UK is the country’s only charity dedicated to finding new cures,
treatments and technologies for deaf, hard of hearing and other hearing impaired
people.
• The charity supports high quality medical research into the prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of all forms of hearing impairment including tinnitus.
• The Deafness Research UK Information Service provides free information and advice
based on the latest scientific evidence and informed by leading experts. The
Information Service can be contacted on Freephone 0808 808 2222
• For more information on research into deafness, tinnitus and other hearing
conditions, log on to the website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk where you can
access a wide range of information. Alternatively you can e-mail Deafness Research
UK at info@deafnessresearch.org.uk
• One in seven people in the UK – almost nine million people - suffer hearing loss.
• Deafness Research UK was founded in 1985 by Lord (Jack) and Lady Ashley of Stoke.
• In January 2008, Action for Tinnitus Research (ATR) was linked with Deafness
Research UK under a uniting direction order under section 96(6) of the Charities Act
1993.




Web Site: http://www.beyondpr.co.uk

Contact Details: Press enquiries
Jon Gardner, BeyondPR. Mobile 07930 697773. Direct line 0114 275 6996. e-mail:
jon.gardner@beyondpr.co.uk
Ref: DRUK0091 – Dr Joerg Albert