Figure 1: Ectopic, newly generated hair cells in the mammalian cochlea after Math1 gene transfer
Scanning electron microscopic images after in vivo inoculation of an adenovirus vector containing the Math1 gene (Ad.Math1.11D). The image reveals an ectopically located, regenerated hair cell in the area of the interdental cells of the limbus in the cochlea of the guinea pig. The hair cell features a well developed stereocilia bundle architecture. Even if hair cells should arise at micromechanically suboptimal points in the inner ear, this can lead to at least a partial restoration of hearing (see text). Scale bar: 2µm. From: Kawamoto et al. 2003 [118], © 2003 by the Society of Neuroscience, with kind permission of the author and publisher.