Inner Ear Disorders: From Molecular Mechanisms to Treatment
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editor
Interests: sensory systems; auditory neuroscience; inner ear diseases; inner ear therapeutics; hearing loss; purinergic signalling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Inner ear disorders, ranging from sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus to balance disorders, pose significant challenges for treatment. The complex interplay of genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors means that treatments must overcome both biological barriers and technological limitations. Over the past several decades, remarkable progress has been made in treating inner ear disorders, yet many challenges remain. Addressing these challenges requires innovative therapeutic strategies integrating modern biotechnology, personalised medicine, and advanced delivery systems.
Some of the pressing questions are indicated below:
- What is the optimal strategy for regenerating lost hair cells and restoring the damaged inner ear structures?
- How can therapeutic agents, whether drugs, gene-editing tools, or regenerative factors, be reliably and safely delivered to the inner ear?
- Which genetic and molecular targets should be prioritised in developing therapies?
- How do we address the heterogeneity among patients with inner ear disorders?
- Can we effectively suppress the inflammatory and oxidative stress responses in the inner ear to prevent further cellular damage?
- How do we effectively integrate biological regenerative therapies with established prosthetic devices, such as cochlear implants, to improve functional outcomes?
- What are the long-term implications of emerging therapies, and how do we ensure that new treatments are safe and accessible?
The answers to these questions can transform the treatment of hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders and redefine our understanding of sensory restoration and cellular regeneration in the inner ear. Therefore, we invite investigators to contribute original research articles and review articles addressing the mechanisms of inner ear disease, biomarkers of hearing loss and vestibular disorders, biological restoration of hearing and other advances in diagnosis and therapy of inner ear disorders.
Please note that purely clinical studies fall outside the scope of the journal, but clinical submissions with biomolecular studies are welcome.
Dr. Srdjan Vlajkovic
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- hearing loss
- balance disorders
- stem cell approaches
- precision gene therapy
- molecular reprogramming
- targeted delivery systems
- molecular biomarkers
- suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation
- tissue engineering
- immune response and off-target effects
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