Deafness reversed: Single injection brings hearing back within weeks

A cutting-edge gene therapy has significantly restored hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness, showing dramatic results just one month after a single injection. Researchers used a virus to deliver a healthy copy of the OTOF gene into the inner ear, improving auditory function across all ten participants in the study. The therapy worked best in young children but still benefited adults, with one 7-year-old girl regaining almost full hearing. Even more exciting: this is just the start, as scientists now aim to target other genes that cause more common forms of deafness.

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Allan said:

Some interesting advancements coming. Scientists have been able to use a similar process to regrow optic nerves in mice.

The severed nerve wasn't repaired, it regrew as a new nerve.

This offers possible future treatment for people who've had a spinal cord injury.

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Chock Full o Nuts said:

Sounds like a huge step in making deafness a thing of the past.

Deafness reversed: Single injection brings hearing back within weeks

A cutting-edge gene therapy has significantly restored hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness, showing dramatic results just one month after a single injection. Researchers used a virus to deliver a healthy copy of the OTOF gene into the inner ear, improving auditory function...

www.sciencedaily.com

Click to expand...

Allan said:

Some interesting advancements coming. Scientists have been able to use a similar process to regrow optic nerves in mice.

The severed nerve wasn't repaired, it regrew as a new nerve.

This offers possible future treatment for people who've had a spinal cord injury.

Click to expand...

Daisy said:

That's so cool! Now, if only they'd come up with something for tinnitus...

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Chock Full o Nuts said:

Sounds like a huge step in making deafness a thing of the past.

Deafness reversed: Single injection brings hearing back within weeks

A cutting-edge gene therapy has significantly restored hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness, showing dramatic results just one month after a single injection. Researchers used a virus to deliver a healthy copy of the OTOF gene into the inner ear, improving auditory function...

www.sciencedaily.com

Click to expand...

Emlee said:

Amen to that. I have hearing loss and tinnitus in my right ear from Meniere’s, the hearing loss is always the same but the tinnitus fluctuates, lately has been acting up pretty badly.

Although I’m happy to take the tinnitus any day vs the vertigo that comes with Meiniere’s.

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Daisy said:

So sorry about your Meniere's...that must be awful to deal with along with all the other symptoms that come with it...life altering for sure...

I think my hearing loss is due to the tinnitus, as it gets worse at night...not sure of the cause but it could be due to one of my meds for high blood pressure...it gets louder and louder as the day goes on...at night I can barely hear anything...recently I've even begun using the closed caption feature on the TV...the only relief is when I'm asleep...

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