New research at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience is investigating the mechanisms that may promote the regeneration of the hair cells within our ears. The loss of these hair cells typically happen over time after repeated exposure to loud noises. The researchers found that “activating the growth gene ERBB2 pathway triggered a cascading series of cellular events by which cochlear support cells began to multiply and activate other neighboring stem cells to become new sensory hair cells.” By understanding this, it gets researchers closer to the goal of “generating new cochlear hair cells in mammals.”