{
  "abstract": "The neonatal cochlear epithelium harbors regenerative capacity, attributable to the transient greater epithelial ridge (GER). After injury, GER cells re-enter the cell cycle, migrate into the damaged organ of Corti, and differentiate into sensory or supporting cells in vivo; in culture, they proliferate to form inner ear organoids. The mechanisms underlying this competence remain unclear. Here, we generated organoids from mouse GER cells and performed single-cell transcriptomics at organoid initiation. Analysis revealed extracellular matrix reorganization with prominent involvement of galectins. Pharmacological inhibition reduced organoid growth, whereas overexpression of galectin-1 or Myc enhanced growth, identifying both factors as regulators of cochlear progenitor expansion. Moreover, Myc overexpression conferred organoid-forming capacity in post-neonatal cochlear epithelial cells after hearing onset, thereby extending the time window for regenerative competence. In vivo, organ of Corti ablation induced galectin-1 upregulation and GER proliferation, suppressed by galectin-1 blockade, establishing a model to rekindle proliferative potential in mature cochlear cells.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Stanford University"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "M. Kubota"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. M. Abitbol"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. K. Lee"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. S. Matern"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Bustos Barocio"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. A. Jan"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Cheng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "S. Heller"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5w31wx6vq8d93.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.06.03.729765",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.03.729765v2.full",
  "id": "5w31wx6vq8d93",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.03.729765v2",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "neuroscience"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2809|Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7163885651",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.03.729765v2.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-06-03",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5w31wx6vq8d93.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:24:14Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.06.03.729765",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.03.729765v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Galectin and Myc enable cochlear progenitor expansion in vitro and in vivo",
  "title_text": "Galectin and Myc enable cochlear progenitor expansion in vitro and in vivo",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:24:14Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5w31wx6vq8d93",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}