University of Michigan researchers have created mice with supercharged hearing abilities by dialing up the expression of a nerve growth gene called neurotrophin-3 (Ntf3). Previous research has shown that increasing Ntf3 expression can improve hearing in middle-aged mice and help recover some hearing in mice with damaged inner ears. The treatment works by increasing the number of connections between hair cells in the ear's cochlea and the brain. The researchers believe the treatment could potentially work in humans.