Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a method that shows how the nervous system and sensory organs are formed in an embryo. By labeling stem cells with a genetic ‘barcode’, they have been able to follow the cells’ developmental journey and discover how the inner ear is formed in mice. The discovery, published in Science, could provide important insights for future treatment of hearing loss.
Our study shows how different cell types arise from stem cells in the embryo and how they are organised to create important structures in the brain. You could say that we have created a family tree for the cells of the nervous system and the inner ear.”
Emma Andersson, docent at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Replacing damaged cells
The researchers…