Summary
Disabling age-related hearing loss (ARHL) afflicts greater than 50% of the population over the age of 70. The progressive loss of sensory hair cells (HCs) of the cochlea, primarily the outer HCs (OHCs), is either the cause or the final common pathology of most forms of ARHL. However, the molecular basis of ARHL is unknown, impeding development of targeted interventions. Furthermore, attempts to reprogram progenitor cells towards cochlear HC fates result primarily in immature HC-like cells, similar to vestibular HCs. For these reasons, the study of the molecular pathways underlying OHC differen
