In a ray of hope for patients with hearing impairment scientists have found that spiral ganglion stem cells present in the inner ear can be used to restore hearing ability. Spiral ganglion cells are essential for hearing and their irreversible degeneration in the inner ear is common in most types of hearing loss. Adult spiral ganglion cells are not able to regenerate. Now new evidence in a mouse model shows that spiral ganglion stem cells are capable of self-renewal and can be grown and induced to differentiate into mature spiral ganglion cells as well as neurons and glial cells. 'These