Hearing loss is considered the most common sensory disorder in the human population that occurs at all ages world-wide, and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common type of hearing loss. Various insults could induce SNHL, including acoustic trauma, ear and brain tumors, aging, noise exposure, or ototoxic medications or chemicals. SNHL is caused by the irreversible loss of sensory hair cells and the degeneration of spiral ganglion neurons. SNHL is not yet curable because of the irreversible death of hair cells and the degeneration of spiral ganglion neurons in the cochlea.

In recent years, exciting animal studies on signaling pathway manipulation, gene therapy, and stem cell transplantation, as well as pharmaceutical agents, demonstrated that hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons could be regenerated; and indicated that hearing loss might eventually be curable in the future. Neural plasticity is the key feature for spiral ganglion neurons and hair cells and is especially important for the new regenerated spiral ganglion neurons and hair cells.

The aim of this Special Issue is to solicit original research articles, as well as review articles, focusing on the recent advances in re-establishing the neural plasticity of regenerated spiral ganglion neurons and sensory hair cells. Researchers and clinicians are encouraged to submit their work including both basic and translational research.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Gene therapy for inherited hearing loss
• Gene therapy for hair cell regeneration
• Inner ear mini organ formation
• Hidden hearing loss
• The application of biomaterials in regeneration
• Signaling mechanisms
• Cytoskeletal regulation
• Hair cell regeneration
• Spiral ganglion neuron regeneration
• Spiral ganglion neuron refinement and retraction
• Spiral ganglion neuron neurites pruning
• Application of biomaterials in improving the plasticity of spiral ganglion neurons
• Ribbon synapse plasticity
• Noise and drug-induced changes in hair cell and spiral ganglion neuron plasticity
• Genetic aspects regulating plasticity