REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuro-Otology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1630549
This article is part of the Research TopicTemporal Bone Histopathology: Clinically Impactful Discoveries in NeurotologyView all 4 articles
Tectorial Membrane: Structure, Function, and Its Implications for Hearing Loss
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Otolaryngology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
- 2Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
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The tectorial membrane (TM) is an essential extracellular matrix in the cochlea, integral to auditory processing by facilitating hair cell stimulation and sound transmission. Despite its vital role, the mechanisms underlying TM-related hearing loss remain unclear. This review aim to discuss the structure and functions of the TM, exploring its role in cochlear mechanics and auditory signal amplification.Abnormalities in TM composition, including disruptions in collagen, glycosaminoglycans, and non-collagenous proteins, are implicated in various forms of hearing loss, including those associated with genetic mutations and ototoxic drug exposure. We also examine the contributions of genes such as TECTA, TECTB, and CEACAM16, whose mutations disrupt TM integrity and lead to sensorineural hearing loss. Additionally, the impact of aging and thyroid hormone deficiency on TM degeneration is considered. Current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are discussed, with an emphasis on the potential of gene therapy and stem cell therapy.
Keywords: Tectorial Membrane, Hearing Loss, Cochlea, Genetic mutations, ototoxicity, Aging, Thyroid hormone
Received: 18 May 2025; Accepted: 21 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bian, DANG and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Baicheng Xu, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
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