A British toddler who was born deaf can now hear after receiving a pioneering new gene therapy treatment. Shortly before her first birthday, Opal Sands had an infusion in her ear that replaced the faulty DNA with a working copy of the gene.
- Opal is the first person in the world to get this new type of gene therapy for inherited deafness
- Doctors at Cambridge’s Addenbrooke’s Hospital carried out the procedure just before her first birthday
- A modified virus delivered a working copy of the faulty gene to the sound-sensing cells in her inner ear
Could this new treatment help other deaf children hear for the first time?
How the Gene Therapy Works
Opal was born with a genetic condition that caused deafness. To treat it:
- Surgeons gave her an infusion into her right ear
- This infusion contained a modified, harmless virus
- The virus replaced her faulty DNA with a working copy of the other gene
The new gene allowed the sound-sensing cells in Opal’s inner ear to properly carry sound signals to her brain. She received a cochlear implant in her left ear.
Unbelievable Results
Just weeks after the treatment, Opal could hear loud sounds. Her parents, Joe and James, were amazed:
“It was absolutely mind-blowing. I messaged James that she could hear, but I didn’t quite believe it at first,” said Joe.
Within a few months, Opal’s hearing was normal in her treated ear. “We were mind-blown by how quiet the sounds were that she could hear,” recalled James.
Big Potential for Other Deaf Children
Opal participated in an international study. Experts hope this gene therapy could help restore hearing for other types of genetic deafness, too.
“We can start using gene therapy for various kinds of genetic hearing loss in young children,” said a researcher. “They won’t need cochlear implants or devices that get replaced.”
Over half of the childhood deafness cases are caused by genetic faults. This new treatment has huge potential to help many deaf children hear for the very first time.
Could gene therapy become a common cure for inherited deafness? Only time will tell as further research continues.
