TEP alumna Prakansha N. Kumar’s new first-author paper: “Expression of the P2X1 receptor remains in the type II spiral ganglion neurons in the mature rat cochlea”

We’re delighted to share a new publication led by our TEP alumna Prakansha N. Kumar, based on research from her Master of Audiology: “Expression of the P2X1 receptor remains in the type II spiral ganglion neurons in the mature rat cochlea” (Purinergic Signalling, Brief Report, open access; published 24 January 2026).

Article available online: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11302-026-10129-7

A special congratulations to Prakansha - this project was done during her Master of Audiology thesis project , and the paper has continued steadily through the publication process after she moved on. Seeing it now published is a real credit to Prakansha's hard work from MAud, and a fantastic example of thesis work making it into the peer-reviewed literature. 

From Figure 1F, Kumar et al. 2026

What the paper is about

Hearing begins in the cochlea, where sound is turned into signals that travel to the brain through spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Most SGNs are type I, while a smaller group, type II SGNs, make up the remainder and are less well understood.

In this study, the team focused on a receptor called P2X1, which responds to ATP. ATP is a signalling molecule used throughout the body, including in the inner ear. The researchers used fluorescent labelling methods to map where P2X1 appears in the cochleae of young rats (postnatal day 8) and young adult rats (6–8 weeks).

They found that P2X1 was present in a small subset of SGNs in both age groups, and that in most of these cells, P2X1 was seen alongside peripherin-1 - a marker associated with type II SGNs. Overall, the results suggest P2X1 may be one part of how type II SGNs help modulate auditory neurotransmission in the mature cochlea.

Well done again to Prakansha, and congratulations to the full author team (Prakansha N. Kumar, Srdjan M. Vlajkovic, Peter R. Thorne, Haruna Suzuki-Kerr).

Read the paper (open access): Springer Link article page