Hearing Loss Tied to Membrane Lipid Flip in Hair Cells

Researchers found that the sound-processing proteins TMC1 and TMC2 also function as lipid scramblases that flip phospholipids across hair-cell membranes. When this scrambling goes awry due to genetics, noise, or certain antibiotics, phosphatidylserine is exposed on the cell surface, triggering apoptosis of hair cells and leading to permanent hearing loss since these cells do not regenerate. Cholesterol levels in the membrane modulate this activity, suggesting potential dietary or pharmacological protection, and highlighting the possibility of designing antibiotics that avoid triggering the death signal. Findings will be presented at the 70th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in 2026.