By introducing new genes into the cell nuclei, researchers instructed the embryonic cells to develop into different adult cells than they ordinarily would have. Instead of forming the tiny hairs the inner ear uses to detect sound waves, the stem cells matured into tissue with different kind of hairs — the sort used to keep balance.
Researchers said the ability to guide the choice of cell types could expand our knowledge of the inner ear and its disorders.
Associate biology professor Donna Fekete said: "We now know at least one gene that determines what these embryonic ear cells will eventually become. Because so many people suffer from deafness later in life, we hope this research will yield treatments for them down the line."
The research appears in the current issue of Developmental Biology.
