Page 112 - IJB-10-4

International

Journal of Bioprinting

REVIEW ARTICLE
Advancements in bioprinting for the treatment

of hearing loss: A review

Yanyan Ding 1 id , Qin Liu 1 id , Jinwu Chen 2 id , Hua Cai 1 id , Yue Qiu 1 id , Ming Li 1 id ,
Le Xie 1 id , Zhenyu Zhao * , and Ying Xiao *
3 id
1 id
1 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University
of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
2 Department of Trauma Surgery, CR & WISCO General Hospital, School of Medicine, Wuhan
University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University
of Singapore, Singapore

Abstract

Hearing loss is a prevalent worldwide health concern, characterized by structural or
functional abnormalities in any part of the ear resulting in varying degrees of auditory
dysfunction. Despite significant progress, there exists a notable deficiency in reliable
and safe therapeutic interventions for addressing hearing loss. Bioprinting, a novel
method in the realm of advanced tissue engineering, exhibits significant potential
in addressing ear-related ailments. This technology provides a wide range of repair
mechanisms specifically designed to address the distinct anatomical and functional
requirements of the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear, potentially leading to
advancements in the treatment of different types of hearing loss. Furthermore,
*Corresponding authors: bioprinting holds promise for producing tissue constructs that are both anatomically
Zhenyu Zhao accurate and functionally suitable, potentially revolutionizing the current treatment
(zhaozy@nus.edu.sg) landscape. Nevertheless, thorough research and development efforts are necessary
Ying Xiao to fully harness the capabilities of bioprinting and establish it as a widely accepted
(2011xh0817@hust.edu.cn)
treatment option for hearing loss.
Citation: Ding Y, Liu Q, Chen J,
et al. Advancements in
bioprinting for the treatment of Keywords: Bioprinting; Hearing Loss; Regenerative medicine
hearing loss: A review.
Int J Bioprint. 2024;10(4):3497.
doi: 10.36922/ijb.3497
Received: April 24, 2024
Accepted: May 23, 2024 1. Introduction
Published Online: July 4, 2024
The World Health Organization reports that an estimated 430 million individuals globally
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). are currently experiencing disabling hearing impairment, representing approximately
This is an Open Access article 5% of the world’s population. Projections indicate that this figure is expected to surpass
distributed under the terms of the
1
Creative Commons Attribution 700 million, exceeding 10% of the population, by the year 2050. Hearing loss manifests
License, permitting distribution, in diverse forms and degrees of severity, typically stemming from organic damage and
and reproduction in any medium, distinguishing it from conditions like functional or psychogenic deafness. 2
provided the original work is
properly cited. Based on the site of the lesion, hearing loss is categorized into sensorineural,
Publisher’s Note: AccScience conductive, and mixed types. Conductive hearing loss is attributed to disruptions in
Publishing remains neutral with sound transmission from the outer to the inner ear, stemming from structural anomalies
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional and blockages. Sensorineural hearing loss, on the other hand, results from inner ear
affiliations. structure impairment, including damage to the organ of Corti, auditory nerves, or

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 104 doi: 10.36922/ijb.3497