Spiral ganglion cell (SGC) degeneration following hair cell loss can be prevented by
administration of exogenous neurotrophic factors. Many of these neurotrophic factors, in
particular the neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3
(NT-3), have been described to be involved in the development of the rodent cochlea. While
expression of most of the neurotrophins has decreased to below detectable levels during
adulthood (only NT-3 remains highly expressed), their respective receptors remain present …