British girl's hearing abilities miraculously restored after gene therapy

As the first person to take part in a new gene therapy trial, a British girl's ears were cured miraculously. Born deaf due to auditory neuropathy, a phenomenon that disrupts nerve impulses from the ear to the brain, the girl named Opal Sandy had her hearing restored after taking part in clinical trials that focused on gene therapy.

Results of gene therapy better than 'what was hoped for', claim doctors

Opal went through a one-time treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge where the head of the trial, Professor Manohar Bance, claimed that the results were "better than he had hoped." He also hoped that doctors might be able to cure others with similar types of deafness by using gene therapy, according to a Sky News report.

The subject in this therapy was an 18-month-old girl from the UK, whose hearing had gotten better after the treatment provided to her by Cambridge doctors.

What causes auditory neuropathy?

Auditory neuropathy can be caused by a damage or issue in the OTOF gene, which secretes a protein called otoferlin that aids the ears to communicate efficiently with the hearing nerve that is connected to the brain.

Opal, who hails from Oxfordshire, had an infusion of the working OTOF gene, into her right ear during the said surgery that happened back in September. The gene therapy ultimately yielded successful results and helped the developers of the therapy, Regeneron, get a place in the medical Hall of Fame for such a significant breakthrough. Changes were noticed after the treatment within four weeks and critical improvements were seen 24 weeks later, according to Sky News.

FAQs:

What is the name of the girl who went through a gene therapy trial?
Opal Sandy, is the name of the eighteen-month-old girl who underwent a gene therapy trial at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge after which she got her hearing powers after being born deaf.

Does gene therapy heal deafness?
According to recent reports, an eighteen-month-old girl, who was born deaf, underwent a gene therapy trial in Cambridge, UK that saw her getting better by the day and being able to hear again.