Reported 12 months ago
The British newspaper 'The Guardian' reported a groundbreaking gene therapy trial that successfully restored hearing in a young child in the UK who was born deaf due to auditory nerve damage. The 18-month-old baby, Ophel Sandi from Oxfordshire, underwent the 'DB-OTO' gene therapy trial at Addenbrooke's Hospital, affiliated with the University of Cambridge Medical School. By injecting a replicated gene component into the ear during a 16-minute surgery, the medical team restored Sandi's hearing to a level comparable to that of a normal person. This new gene therapy is specifically designed for children suffering from OTOF gene mutations, with Sandi being the first patient globally to receive this treatment at such a young age. The initial results of the surgery exceeded expectations, marking a new era in hearing loss treatment and showing promise for future development as an effective therapeutic method. Following this success, another child is believed to have undergone the same gene therapy at the University of Cambridge Hospital with similarly positive outcomes, indicating potential for more children with hearing impairments to participate in the trial. Sandi, now able to hear his parents' voices, has returned home post-surgery.
Source: YAHOO