Hearing loss is one of the most common sensory disorders worldwide, affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Although mouse models have been widely used in auditory research, significant differences in auditory frequency range and cochlear structure between mice and humans limit the efficiency of translating basic research into clinical applications. Non-human primates, being evolutionarily closer to humans, represent an ideal model for studying human auditory physiology and disease; however, the cellular and molecular composition and function of the non-human primate cochlea remain poorly understood.
On January 17, 2026, the research team led by Professor Chai Renjie at Southeast University, in collaboration with multiple research institutions, published a study online in the internationally renowned journal Nature Communications, titled “Molecular heterogeneity of the non-human primate cochlea” In this study, the researchers used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to systematically map the cellular landscape of the cochlea of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) at juvenile and adult stages, revealing cell types and molecular features that are both highly conserved and species-specific. This work provides a critical data resource for understanding human auditory mechanisms and for developing gene therapies for deafness and organoid models.
The research team systematically sampled cochlear tissues from cynomolgus monkeys aged 1, 5, and 11 years, successfully capturing and analyzing transcriptomic data from over 36,701 high-quality cell nuclei. By integrating and comparing these data with published mouse cochlear single-cell datasets, the researchers constructed a detailed molecular atlas encompassing 20 cell types across major structures, including the cochlear epithelium, spiral ganglion, and stria vascularis.
The study found that while hair cells and spiral neurons are highly conserved in their transcriptional programs, supporting cells and glial cells exhibit pronounced species-specific differences. Notably, in the spiral ganglion region, monkey glial cells display morphological and molecular diversity distinct from that in mice, including significant differences in genes related to glutamate receptors and clearance functions. Furthermore, the researchers identified PBX3, a transcription factor expressed specifically in primates, which may be involved in regulating the development and function of type II spiral neurons.
To further validate the clinical relevance of the data, the team systematically analyzed the expression patterns of known hereditary deafness-associated genes across various cell types in the monkey cochlea. They found that multiple key deafness-related genes, including POU4F3 and GJB2, exhibit cell-type-specific expression patterns in monkeys that are highly similar to those in humans, further highlighting the value of this atlas as a reference for research on human auditory disorders.
In summary, this study not only establishes the first high-resolution single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the non-human primate cochlea, revealing conserved and divergent mechanisms of the mammalian auditory organ during evolution, but also provides an indispensable molecular foundation and data platform for future studies on gene therapy, drug screening, and the pathology of human deafness.
Professor Chai Renjie from Southeast University and Professor Lu Ling from Zhongda Hospital Affiliated with Southeast University are the co-corresponding authors of this paper. Postdoctoral fellow Chen Xin, doctoral candidate Che Yuwei from Southeast University, Associate Professor Qi Jieyu from Beijing Institute of Technology, master's student Cen Ming from Southeast University, and postdoctoral fellow Gao Shan from Southeast University are the co-first authors.
Original article link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68350-2
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