FIG. 1.

Approaches used for ESC transplantation and the state of differentiation of ESCs after RA neural induction. A Surgical approach to expose the round window (RW) niche of the gerbil cochlea for ESC transplantation. The basilar membrane comprises the translucent zone and is visible through the RW membrane. The bony osseous spiral lamina, the wall of Rosenthal’s canal (RC), and the central modiolus are located in the opaque zone. Scale bar = 500 μm. B Schematic diagram illustrating three delivery routes of ESCs into: (1) Rosenthal’s canal, (2) perilymph of scala tympani (ST), (3) and endolymph of scala media (SM). The photograph was modified from a radial paraffin section of the basal turn from a normal young gerbil. Sa stapedial arteria, Sp.L spiral ligament, SV scala vestibuli. Scale bar = 100 μm. C The majority of the cultured ESCs stained for nestin (green). Nuclei were countstained with bis-benzimide (blue). Scale bar = 20 μm.