Timeline For Regenerative Deafness Cure
(From the The Scotsman). UK scientists are projecting a 10 to 15 year timeline for curing deafness using regenerative medicine based on embryonic stem cell research. This is much in line with projections for other similar initiatives to treat degenerative conditions using stem cells. "Researchers from Sheffield University are using embryonic stem cells in efforts to grow new cells in the inner ear. ... during the 10 months of research conducted so far it had been shown that stems cells from the sensory nerves could be regrown in the damaged area, potentially leading to the return of hearing." As a general rule, it takes a decade to get from the laboratory to full commercialization - while modern science is getting faster and cheaper, the old regulatory and human costs are staying much the same.