Using Zebrafish to Study Human Deafness and Hearing Regeneration

Since the publication of the first draft of the human genome sequence in 2001, there has been an explosion in the number of genes associated with human genetic diseases, including those involved in human deafness. Clinical studies, genome-wide association studies, and exome resequencing have all added to the ever-expanding candidate list of genes with a role in hearing. Because human genetic data is primarily correlative, this explosion of data has increased the need for more efficient approaches to confirm these candidate genes in a model system. In addition, as our understanding of stem cells and genome editing advances, the potential for restoring hearing through regenerative medicine increases. This review highlights the role zebrafish can play as a model for human deafness, and also its potential role in discovering regenerative medicine therapies to restore lost hearing.