"All of our senses convert (转换) physical energy in the surrounding world into electrical responses, which are the common currency that the nervous system uses," said James Hudspeth from Rockefeller University.
Hudspeth said, "Our ears have to convert mechanical vibrations (震动) in the air into electrical responses. And the way this is done is that there are so-called hair cells. These cells have little microscopic bristles (刚毛), about a hundred of them, and on the top of each cell, these bristles vibrate back and forth in response to sound. That sets up an electrical signal that goes down a nerve fiber and into the brain."
Hudspeth continued, "The real question is what happens with these hair cells as they degenerate. We lose them owing to loud sounds and certain drugs, and we lose them with aging. What can be done to repair them so that we can restore hearing?"
Another expert, Robert Fettiplace said, "Well, I mean there are two aspects to this, one of which is that you could try and regrow them. Almost all hearing loss is due to death of the hair cells or lack of formation of them in the first place. The cells are all different."
Hudspeth said, "The problems that Robert has mentioned go for mammals, including ourselves. The situation is different with other four-legged animals. But, in reptiles, including birds, this regeneration is going on all the time, like in fish. In fact, you can take a chicken to a concert, blasting its ears. They will nicely regenerate, and even with frequency-specific hair cells, they will reconnect, and the animal will be able to hear normally again."
Hudspeth added, "I agree that there is an enormous challenge, and this is certainly something that won't happen overnight in ourselves. But I don't think it's a hopeless task and I think basically what many people are trying to do is decode (解码) the signals sent as these hair cells develop, and by doing so to recognize the signaling pathways that might be reactivated the original development and restore hair cells by that means."