BDNF and sensorineural hearing loss disorder: The neurotrophic hypothesis suggests a deficit of neurotrophins accounts for all age-related degeneration in the central nervous system.1 Neurotrophins, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), enhance cell growth of neurons, and BDNF has been shown to support structural regeneration of mammalian hair cells.2 This research project explores neurotrophic-based strategies for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in animals using a model that could be applied to humans.