前庭毛细胞损伤是引起眩晕的原因之一。促进支持细胞转化是目前实现毛细胞再生的有效方式，但会导致两种细胞比例失衡的矛盾。调控细胞周期实现感觉上皮细胞有丝分裂，可能解决这一矛盾。研究表明，p27kip1基因敲除可促进耳蜗感觉上皮细胞增殖。尽管p27kip1也活跃表达于各年龄段小鼠前庭支持细胞，但其在前庭的应用尚未见报道。因此推测，敲除p27kip1基因可促进前庭支持细胞有丝分裂。本研究中，我们将利用Plp1-CreERT与p27loxP转基因小鼠，诱导p27kip1基因在小鼠内耳支持细胞选择性敲除，以期实现前庭支持细胞有丝分裂，探索其促进不同年龄小鼠前庭支持细胞增殖的程度。并在特定的时间点通过病毒介导p27Kip1基因过表达于小鼠前庭，以期重新“敲入”p27Kip1基因，控制支持细胞增殖的程度。我们将在不同时间点评估新生细胞的特点及其对前庭功能的影响。本研究将为前庭感觉上皮充分再生提供新的思路。

The impairment of vestibular hair cells（HCs）is one of the significant causes of vertigo. Differentiation of supporting cells（SCs）to HCs may lead to unbalance of the two cells. Regulation of cell cycle may solve this problem. It is demonstrated that knock-out of p27kip1 could lead to proliferation of cochlea sensory epithelium. In addition, p27kip1 is also actively expressed in the vestibular SCs. We suppose that knock-out of p27kip1 may cause mitosis of vestibular SCs. In this research, we will use transgenic mice of Plp1-CreERT and p27loxP to induce the selective knock-out of p27kip1 in SCs of mice, exploring the mitosis of SCs in neonatal and adult mice. Then we will inoculate viral vectors of AAV8- p27Kip1 into inner ear of these mice, to “knock-on” p27kip1, in order to control the extent of proliferation. We will test the vestibular function of mice and then examine the characteristics of new cells. Our study will be beneficial for sufficient regeneration of vestibular sensory epithelium.