Research

Temporal Bone Macrophage Populations

Several macrophage populations are distributed across distinct inner ear compartments, each with a characteristic density and morphology, and most likely a characteristic function. We are interested in how macrophages are involved in inner ear diseases affecting the homeostasis of endolymph and its contents.

3D Atlases of the Rat Temporal Bone

The temporal bone hosts the middle and inner ear cavities. The inner ear labyrinth is a set of thin, fluid-filled sacs and ducts encased in bone, containing the sensory organs for hearing and balance, and it is notoriously difficult to visualize. Using iDISCO+ tissue clearing and light-sheet microscopy on decalcified temporal bones, we reconstructed the full 3D architecture of the rat labyrinth at cellular resolution — building a common reference atlas allowing to quantify cell populations within each segmented structure.

The middle ear, devoted to sound transmission, contains the smallest bones in the body, the ossicles, and modeling its geometry is essential to understand drug and pathogen penetration in the inner ear. Moreover, middle ear mucosa is the first barrier defending the sensory inner ear from pathogens arriving from outside through the eustachian tube or tympanic membrane. To better plan injections and surgery, we are making a 3D model of the rat middle ear, complementing the inner ear one we previously published.

Temporal Bone Marrow

We have mapped the bone marrow located in the proximity of the inner ear, and discovered it emits vascular loops which coast the inner ear. Given the role of cranial bone marrow in neuroimmune responses in the brain, we want to assess the role of temporal bone marrow in the inner ear functioning