Groundbreaking 'cure' for deafness could be on the way after two children born with impaired hearing listen to music for first time thanks to gene therapy By Colin Fernandez Science Correspondent Published: 19:37 EDT, 5 June 2024 | Updated: 19:38 EDT, 5 June 2024 e-mail View comments Two children who were born deaf can now listen and dance to music after undergoing ground-breaking gene therapy. The treatment, given as an infusion into the ear, works by replacing faulty DNA which causes a type of inherited deafness known as DFNB9. Researchers hope a similar approach could help in other congenital cases of deafness – which account for 60 per cent of the 430 million cases worldwide.
In the world-first gene-therapy trial, five children in China – two girls and three boys, all around three years old – gained hearing in both ears. All five were able to hear and speak words and locate where a sound was coming from. The treatment, given as an infusion into the ear, works by replacing faulty DNA which causes a type of inherited deafness known as DFNB9.
Dr Yilai Shu from Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University examining a young patient The DFNB9 strain of deafness is caused by a failure to produce a protein known as otoferlin Read More DR MAX PEMBERTON: Failing to admit your deafness could lead to divorce But two showed more advanced improvements and were even able to respond to music, which has more complex sound signals. The latest results, reported in Nature Medicine, build on .
