# Peripheral auditory system deficits and autism-like behaviors

> **NIH NIH K18** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2021 · $199,281

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Children with hearing loss have an increased risk for developing other disabilities. One commonly associated
disability is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a condition that also includes alterations in the auditory system.
Hearing loss might contribute to ASD core symptoms and interfere with communication, social interaction, and
overall quality of life. Nearly 1 in 59 children with hearing loss were reported to receive school-based services
for ASD. Mutations or deletions in the Myocyte-specific Enhancer Factor 2C (MEF2C) gene have recently been
linked to ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. A preliminary study conducted in the candidate’s
laboratory found that (1) Mef2c is highly expressed in auditory nerve macrophages in postnatal wild type mice,
and (2) auditory nerve functional decline and hearing loss occur in a novel mouse model of a syndromic autism
disorder, human MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome. The overall goal of this NIDCD Research Career
Enhancement Award (K18) resubmission is to augment the candidate’s research expertise to study how
peripheral auditory system deficits contribute to communication and other social behavior impairments in ASD
and other common human developmental disorders. The candidate is an established auditory neuroscientist
with more than 20 years of experience in the pathophysiology of the peripheral auditory system and resultant
sensorineural hearing loss. With the mentorship of four leading experts from the Medical University of South
Carolina and Harvard Medical School, the training plan and research project will provide the opportunity for the
candidate to (1) acquire advanced scientific knowledge/research tools in the fields of neuroimmunology,
neurodevelopmental disorders, central auditory processing and perception, and communication and social
interaction behaviors; and (2) conduct a study to address the novel hypothesis that abnormal macrophage
activity resulting from Mef2c deficiency leads to AN functional declines and hearing loss, and that these
changes may be associated with abnormalities in higher levels of the nervous system and contribute to
communication impairment and other autistic symptoms. These training and research activities will catalyze
research collaborations in new directions and establish innovative research programs to study hearing loss and
communication impairment in human neurodevelopmental disorders. These investigations will promote a
greater understanding of the important role of cochlear macrophage and auditory nerve dysfunction in ASD
and other neurodevelopmental disorders, and may reveal a neuro-immune based therapeutic strategy
beneficial for this fast growing population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10187095
- **Project number:** 1K18DC018517-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** Hainan Lang
- **Activity code:** K18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $199,281
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10187095

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10187095, Peripheral auditory system deficits and autism-like behaviors (1K18DC018517-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10187095. Licensed CC0.

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