Determining the type of protein can help people with hearing loss hear back to normal

Did you know, our ears use a protein called TMC1 to convert sound waves received from external effects into electrical waves, transmitting information about the brain. The working apparatus of our ears is more accurate and sophisticated than Swiss watches.

The function of the ear is to hear and balance the body. They convert the smallest mechanical effects to the inner ear system into electric waves that help the brain translate and understand. This system is so detailed and complex that scientists have not yet determined its exact mechanism.

The structure of the ear.

The sensory systems have been well studied for decades. But because of the deep and small structure of the inner ear system, it is difficult to sample intact receptor cells of the ear (while the ear has 16,000 types of receptor cells).

Until August 22, 2018, a report in the magazine Neuron revealed the mysteries in this tiny cave. The author of the scientific report - a research group from Harvard University - conducted research on TMC1, the protein discovered since 2002, fully responsible for hearing and balance functions. of vertebrate animals.

Co-author Jeffrey Holt, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School at Children's Hospital Boston, said: 'We believe our research has demonstrated the important significance of TMC1 protein in the transformation of information. believe from ear to brain to perform hearing and balance for the body ".

The function of the ear is to hear and balance the body.

They explain the following:

When sound waves penetrate your cochlea, they vibrate stereocilia beams on hairy cells. These beams will amplify sound wave signals and transmit them to the inner ear hair cells. These hair cells convert the mechanical signal of sound waves into electrical waves that the brain can read. The TMC1 protein responsible for forming pores provides an acoustic activation channel in this inner ear hair cell. This channel allows mechanical signals to convert into electrical signals.

The team also shared that they expect their results to be used to successfully treat deaf people or people with hearing-related conditions.

Holt said: 'In order to design optimal treatments for hearing loss, we need to know their molecules and structures, where disease-causing problems arise. And our research has created a step closer to that goal. "