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<\/div>Three Deaf Mice<\/h2>
About half of the time someone is born totally deaf, it’s because of their genetic makeup. Those people are typically treated with cochlear implants<\/a>, but now researchers from Europe and the U.S. are looking at gene-based treatments as well.<\/p> Deaf mice treated with a new kind of gene therapy developed the ability to hear almost as well as healthy mice, according to research<\/a> published Tuesday in the journal PNAS<\/em> — findings that suggest gene therapies may someday help with previously-untreatable conditions.<\/p> The mice had what’s called DFNB9 deafness, the type that accounts for between two and eight percent of gene-related cases of human deafness. In DFNB9 deafness, a protein called otoferlin<\/a> can’t perform its usual role of transmitting sound information gathered by the fine hairs in the inner ear.<\/p> But after altering the deaf mice’s genomes with specially-crafted viruses, the mice were able to hear almost as well as mice that were born with functioning otoferlin.<\/p> Even after altering the same specific gene in mice as what causes DFNB9 deafness in humans, it’s too soon to say that these gene-editing viruses can be used to treat people. There’s a long road between animal experiments and human clinics.<\/p> There’s more reason to be wary of this treatment. According to a conflict of interest statement in the PNAS<\/em> article, one researcher from the University of Florida stands to profit if this virus-based technology takes off — so it’s worth waiting to see if the work holds up in further studies.<\/p> READ MORE:<\/strong> Gene therapy durably reverses congenital deafness in mice<\/a> [Pasteur Institute Newsroom via MedicalXPress<\/em>]<\/p> More on gene therapy: New CRISPR Gene Editing Experiment Slows Down Hearing Loss<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> The post Scientists Used Gene Therapy to Cure Deafness in Mice<\/a> appeared first on Futurism<\/a>.<\/p> More here: Three Deaf Mice About half of the time someone is born totally deaf, it\u2019s because of their genetic makeup. Those people are typically treated with cochlear implants , but now researchers from Europe and the U.S Continue reading Ear Genes<\/h2>
Step One<\/h2>
Scientists Used Gene Therapy to Cure Deafness in Mice<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"