Deaf News: Gene therapy makes deaf mice hear a whisper

Posted on February 8, 2017 by



The BBC and a number of other media outlets have reported on new gene therapy that has made deaf mice able to hear a whisper.

The BBC’s report says:

Deaf mice have been able to hear a tiny whisper after being given a “landmark” gene therapy by US scientists.

They say restoring near-normal hearing in the animals paves the way for similar treatments for people “in the near future”.

Studies, published in Nature Biotechnology, corrected errors that led to the sound-sensing hairs in the ear becoming defective.

The researchers used a synthetic virus to nip in and correct the defect.

“It’s unprecedented, this is the first time we’ve seen this level of hearing restoration,” said researcher Dr Jeffrey Holt, from Boston Children’s Hospital.

Read the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38881369

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