Scientists have found a way to restore hearing in deaf patients

Breakthrough in medicine: scientists successfully restore hearing to deaf patients using gene therapy for the first time

A revolutionary achievement by an international team of researchers from the Karolinska Institute and Chinese universities opens a new era in the treatment of congenital deafness. The results of the study, published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine, demonstrate unprecedented success in restoring hearing to patients with genetic disorders.

The clinical trials involved 10 people aged 1 to 24 years who suffered from severe hearing impairments due to a mutation in the OTOF gene. This mutation blocks the normal transmission of sound signals to the brain, condemning patients to a life in a world of silence.

The innovative treatment method involved delivering a healthy copy of the OTOF gene to the cochlea of the inner ear using a specially modified synthetic virus. The results exceeded expectations: just one month after the procedure, patients began to distinguish sounds, and after six months, hearing significantly improved in all study participants. The average hearing threshold decreased from 106 to 52 decibels. Particularly impressive results were observed in children aged 5-8 years — some of them were able to begin communicating fully with their families just 4 months after treatment.

It is important to note that researchers did not record any serious side effects in patients. This is the first successful application of gene therapy for treating hereditary deafness not only in children but also in adolescents and adults.

"This is a huge step forward that can change patients' lives. We have already begun work on genes that cause more common types of deafness, such as GJB2 and TMC1," emphasized Maoli Duan, the lead researcher.