Reprogramming of human wharton's jelly cells to produce hair cells

Abstract

A method of transforming human cells into mechanosensory hair cells (MHCs), such as inner hear hair cells in the cochlea and vestibular organs, can include: causing human Wharton's jelly cells (hWJCs) to increase expression of or biological function of HATH1 so as to transform the hWJCs into MHCs. The method can include; administering a nucleic acid that encodes HATH1 to the hWJCs; causing inhibited expression of or biological function of HES1 and/or HES5 in the hWJCs; administering a nucleic acid that inhibits HES1 and/or a nucleic acid that inhibits HES5 to the hWJCs; causing inhibited expression of or biological function of HES1 and/or HES5 in the WJCs by administering a nucleic acid that inhibits HES1 and/or a nucleic acid that inhibits HES5; nucleic acids are administered includes a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, and/or SEQ ID NO: 4.

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