Light Could Restore Lost Hearing - Scientific American

Light Could Restore Lost Hearing - Scientific American: In a study that appeared in March in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the researchers used viruses to implant genes for light sensitivity into mouse embryos of a deaf lineage. The genes went to work in the auditory pathways of the mouse brains, creating light-sensitive patches on the membranes of their spiral ganglion neurons and other neurons. The scientists then directed LED light onto these neurons and recorded brain stem activity—an essential integration step in auditory processing.