Mouse Models for Pendrin-Associated Loss of Cochlear and Vestibular Function

Autor: Philine Wangemann
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Zdroj: Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, Vol 32, Iss 1, Pp 157-165 (2013)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1015-8987
1421-9778
DOI: 10.1159/000356635
Popis: The human gene SLC26A4 and the mouse ortholog Slc26a4 code for the protein pendrin, which is an anion exchanger expressed in apical membranes of selected epithelia. In the inner ear, pendrin is expressed in the cochlea, the vestibular labyrinth and the endolymphatic sac. Loss-of-function and hypo-functional mutations cause an enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct (EVA) and sensorineural hearing loss. The relatively high prevalence of SLC26A4 mutations provides a strong imperative to develop rational interventions that delay, ameliorate or prevent pendrin-associated loss of cochlear and vestibular function. This review summarizes recent studies in mouse models that have been developed to delineate the role of pendrin in the physiology of hearing and balance and that have brought forward the concept that a temporally and spatially limited therapy may be sufficient to secure a life-time of normal hearing in children bearing mutations of SLC26A4.
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