Conclusions
Evidence suggests that there may be progenitor cells in the adult human cochlea, although further studies are required.
Methods
Cochleas removed from patients undergoing vestibular schwannoma resection (n=2) and from brain-dead organ donors (n=4) were dissociated for either flow cytometry analysis for the stem cell marker ABCG2 or a sphere formation assay that is widely used to test the sphere-forming capacity of cells from mouse inner ear tissue.
Results
Spheres were identified after 2-5 days in vitro, and the stem cell marker ABCG2 was detected using flow cytometric analysis after cochlear dissociation. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that there may be progenitor cells in the adult human cochlea, although further studies are required.