In turn, this can cause symptoms such as hearing loss, dizziness, facial paralysis, and even a brain infection.

In a study published recently in Nature Communications, researchers from Osaka University have revealed the cause of Cholesteatomas, which may help in developing new therapies for patients who are suffering from this disease.

Cholesteatomas are made up of cysts or bumps in the ear that consist of skin, collagen fibers, skin cells, fibroblasts, keratin, and dead tissue.

“A cholesteatoma can still return or happen again even after its surgical removal, so it is important to know what is actually causing it,” says lead author Kotaro Shimizu.

To investigate this, researchers looked at human cholesteatoma tissues that were surgically removed from patients. A process called single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was employed to identify cells responsible for triggering bone erosion; these were called osteoclastogenic fibroblasts.

This study demonstrated how these fibroblasts expressed an abundant amount of activin A, a molecule that regulates different physiologic functions of the body. The presence of activin A is said to cause bone erosion through a process in which specialized cells initiate bone resorption through a process wherein the minerals and matrix of the bones are broken down and absorbed by the body.

The researchers were successful in showing the relationship between activin A and bone erosion in cholesteatoma. “Our study showed that targeting activin A is a potential treatment in the management of cholesteatomas,” states senior author Masaru Ishii.

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