(C) flickr & andyjakeman
さまざまな種類の細胞に成長することができる幹細胞を使って，難聴を治療できるようになるかもしれない。音を感じ取る感覚有毛細胞と呼ばれる細胞に障害が起こると難聴になるが，これまで，この障害による難聴は治すことができなかった。ところが，新たな研究で，幹細胞を感覚有毛細胞や聴覚神経の細胞に変える方法が発見された。これは治療法として役立つだけでなく，音を感じる器官の障害を受けた部分に，細胞を蘇らせる目的で幹細胞を送り込んだり，難聴の薬を評価したりすることにも役立つという。（吉田素子）
The study, led by researchers(1) at the University of Sheffield, has successfully(2) isolated(3) human stem cells(4) and discovered how to turn these into either cells(5) that behave like sensory hair cells(6) or auditory neurons(7). The cells could be used to restore hearing(8).
Currently(9), there is no way to repair the cells that detect(10) sound (hair cells(11)) once they have been damaged and the resulting hearing loss(12) is permanent. The results of this research also means that, for the first time, there is now a system based on human cells for testing new therapies(13) in the laboratory(14).
Lead researcher(15) and senior research fellow(16) at the University of Sheffield, Dr Marcelo Rivolta, said: "The potential of stem cells is very exciting. We have now an experimental system(17) to study genes(18) and drugs in a human context. Moreover, these cells would help us to develop the technologies needed to deliver them into damaged tissues, such as the cochlea(19), in order to restore the different cell types(20). This should facilitate(21) the development of a stem cell treatment for deafness(22)."
Dr Ralph Holme, director of biomedical(23) research at RNID(24), said: "Stem cell therapy for hearing loss is still some years away but this research is incredibly(25) promising and opens up(26) exciting possibilities by bringing(27) us closer to restoring hearing in the future."
Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive(28) of Deafness Research UK, said: "This study highlights(29) the importance of stem cell research. In addition to(30) the future potential for restoring hearing with stem cell therapy, the recent research success means that we may now have better ways to test the efficacy(31) and toxicity(32) of new drugs on auditory cells(33)."
(1) 研究者 (2) 成功裏に (3) 単離した (4) 幹細胞 (5) 細胞 (6) 感覚有毛細胞 (7) 聴覚神経
(8) 聴覚 (9) 現在のところ (10) 検出する (11) 有毛細胞 (12) 聴覚障害 (13) 治療法
(14) 実験室 (15) 研究主任 (16) 上級研究員 (17) 実験系 (18) 遺伝子 (19) 蝸牛
(20) 細胞型 (21) ～を容易にする (22) 難聴 (23) 生物医学の (24) 英国の難聴者のための
団体の名称（Royal National Institute for Deaf Peopleの頭文字） (25) 信じられないほど
(26) （～ possibilities）可能性を切り開く (27) （～ A closer to B）AをBに近づけること
(28) 最高経営責任者 (29) 浮き彫りにする (30) ～に加えて (31) 有効性 (32) 毒性
(33) 聴覚細胞
