A single jab of a breakthrough gene therapy could reverse hearing loss within weeks, according to new research.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden say the cutting-edge therapy improves hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness or severe hearing impairment, and in a clinical trial, a seven-year-old recovered almost completely.
Clinical trials, detailed in journals Natural Medicineshowing that healthy copies of OTOF gene injected in the inner ear improved hearing in all 10 participants.
Small-scale trials include people with genetic forms of deafness or severe hearing impairment, which is caused by mutations in a gene called OTOF.
These mutations lead to a lack of the ear face of the protein, which plays a key role in transmitting sound signals from the ear to the brain.
While the therapy seems to work best in children, it may also benefit adults, the researchers say.
Representative. A single pun with a breakthrough gene therapy may reverse hearing loss in weeks (AFP via Getty)
In the trial, a harmless version of adeno-associated virus was used to provide the appropriate functional OTOF gene to the inner ear using a single injection.
The effects of this therapy are evident in most patients, whose hearing recovers quickly after only one month.
Six months later, the researchers noted that all participants had a significant improvement in hearing, with their average perceived sound increasing from 106 decibels to 52 points.
The study found that ages between five and eight years old respond best to treatment.
A seven-year-old girl quickly recovered almost all her hearing and she had conversations with her mother every day after four months.
“This is the first time the method has been tested in adolescents and adults,” said Maoli Duan, author of the Karolinska Institutet study.
“Many participants have significantly improved hearing, which may have a profound impact on their quality of life. We will now follow these patients to understand how long the effects are.”
The researchers also found that this treatment is safe and well tolerated. Participants did not report any serious adverse reactions during the 6-12-month follow-up period.
The most common reaction is to reduce the number of neutrophils in the immune system, a type of white blood cell.
“OTOF is just the beginning,” said Dr. Duan. Researchers are studying other common genes behind deafness, such as GJB2 and TMC1.
“These treatments are more complex, but so far, animal studies have returned promising results. We are confident that patients with different kinds of hereditary deafness will one day be able to receive treatment.”
