The immune response after noise damage in the cochlea is characterized by a heterogeneous mix of adaptive and innate immune cells
Abstract
Cells of the immune system are present in the adult cochlea and respond to damage caused by noise exposure. However, the types of immune cells involved and their locations within the cochlea are unclear. We used flow cytometry and immunostaining to reveal the heterogeneity of the immune cells in the cochlea and validated the presence of immune cell gene expression by analyzing existing single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) data. We demonstrate that cell types of both the innate and adaptive immune system are present in the cochlea. In response to noise damage, immune cells increase in number. B, T, NK, and myeloid cells (macrophages and neutrophils) are the predominant immune cells present. Interestingly, immune cells appear to respond to noise damage by infiltrating the organ of Corti. Our studies highlight the need to further understand the role of these immune cells within the cochlea after noise exposure.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Sep 16, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s41598-020-72181-6
Entities
People
- Feng Hao
- Jian Zuo
- Megan B. Wood
- Nathan. M. Schabla
- Shu Tu
- Vikrant Rai
Organizations
- Creighton University
- National Institutes of Health
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Army Medical Research and Development Command