Written based on 22 research studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 14..
The claim
Posts online say that stem cell treatment helps with hearing loss.
Where research stands
We found 102 published papers on stem cell treatment and hearing loss. They were published between 2004 and 2026. 2 of them are studies in people. None of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 12 were studies in animals, and 12 were only in cells in the lab. 63 papers are reviews that sum up other studies. 3 new studies in people are running or will start soon, say the trial registers. 10 research projects on stem cell treatment for hearing loss are funded and still running.
- 2In people
- 12In animals
- 12Only in the lab
What the studies found
We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.
Verdict
Stem cell treatment has been studied in people with hearing loss, but not in randomised trials.
What this means for you: A study in people is not proof that it helps you. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- Intratympanic injection of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell derived small extracellular vesicles for refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a Phase 1 trial.2026 · Stem Cell Res Ther · Study in people
- Amifostine protects against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in children with average-risk medulloblastoma.2008 · J Clin Oncol · Study in people
- Integrating Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy in Hearing Restoration: A Systematic Review.2026 · Cureus · Review
- Advances in Stem Cell Therapy for Hearing Loss.2026 · Ear Hear · Review
- Brainstem Response Changes of Noise-Induced Auditory Damage after Stem Cell Injection: Systematic Review of Animal Studies and Meta-Analysis.2026 · Iran J Child Neurol · Review
- Stem cell-derived exosome therapy for traumatic brain injury and its auditory complications.2026 · Biomed Pharmacother · Review
- [Promising methods for sensorineural hearing loss treatment: Cellular technologies].2026 · Vestn Otorinolaringol · Review
- Mesenchymal vs. induced pluripotent stem cells: potential for spiral ganglion neuron regeneration in auditory neuropathy.2026 · Front Cell Neurosci · Review
- Partial hearing recovery after cochlear nerve surface transplantation of hair follicle-derived neural crest stem cells in neural hearing loss rat.2026 · Animal Model Exp Med · In animals
- Inner ear transplantation of cochlear progenitor cells restores acute sensorineural hearing loss.2026 · Neuroscience · In animals
- Therapeutic Effects of N-Acetylcysteine-Primed, Iron Oxide Nanoparticle-Enhanced Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomes in Ototoxicity Hearing Loss.2026 · Tissue Eng Regen Med · In animals
- Neural stem cell-loaded biohybrid hydrogel improves cochlear implants by electrode-neural coupling and neural regeneration.2026 · Theranostics · In animals
- Cochlear-bioelectrode: Auditory response to cochlear implant can be improved by stem cell delivery into inner ear in a pig model.2025 · Stem Cell Res Ther · In animals
- Innovative treatment of age-related hearing loss using MSCs and EVs with Apelin.2025 · Cell Biol Toxicol · In animals
- Quinazoline alleviates inner ear damage by enhancing the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells.2026 · Pak J Pharm Sci · In the lab
- Generation of human induced pluripotent stem cell lines from a patient with OTOF-related deafness and a carrier relative.2026 · Stem Cell Res · In the lab
- PRPS1 (p.V42L) Mutation in Arts Syndrome Induces Aberrant Neural Stem Cell Development and Neuronal Senescence-Like Phenotype: Rescue by Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Supplementation.2026 · Int J Stem Cells · In the lab
- A pluripotent stem cell model of Emberger syndrome reveals reduced lymphatic endothelial differentiation.2025 · Int J Hematol · In the lab
- Clinical spectrum and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcomes in Japanese patients with GATA2 deficiency.2026 · Int J Hematol · Other paper
- Corrigendum to "Generation of induced pluripotent stem cell line IRDWCHi001-A from a patient with hearing loss and nystagmus carrying the heterozygous TBX2 c.977delA (p.D326Afs*42) mutation" [Stem Cell Res. 90 (2026) 103906].2026 · Stem Cell Res · Other paper
- Generation of induced pluripotent stem cell line IRDWCHi001-A from a patient with hearing loss and nystagmus carrying the heterozygous TBX2 c.977delA (p.D326Afs*42) mutation.2026 · Stem Cell Res · Other paper
- Ototoxicity in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation With High-Dose Carboplatin: Identifying Modifiable Risk Factors Through the Inclusion of Younger Patients.2025 · Pediatr Blood Cancer · Other paper
