The world is filled with noises that can lead to permanent hearing loss. Just go to a rock concert for a few hours, and the resulting days-long tinnitus is enough anatomical evidence to prove the point. However, the majority of cases regarding hearing loss in children and adults<\/a> comes from genetics, an unfortunate mutation somewhere in a person\u2019s genome that interrupts the otherwise remarkable process of turning sound waves into electrical signals that can be interpreted by our brain (aka auditory transduction). <\/p>\n With the arrival of gene-editing tools, such as CRISPR, scientists have begun making strides to make hereditary deafness a thing of the past. However, as you might expect, achieving such a medical miracle isn\u2019t easy. More than 120 genes have been linked to hearing loss, so isn\u2019t like you can just flip a switch and fix the problem. Previous studies have analyzed different genes, including TMC1, Atp2b2, and others, typically on mouse models with positive results. <\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n But a new study, analyzing the gene OTOF, tested its gene therapy on ten patients between the ages of 1 to 24 at five hospitals throughout China. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine<\/a>, detailed how all ten patients experienced vast hearing improvement with perceptible sound increasing from 106 decibels (which is about the equivalent of a car horn at close range) to 52 decibels\u2014below the range of a typical conversation. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is a huge step forward in the genetic treatment of deafness, one that can be life-changing for children and adults,\u201d Karolinska Institutet in Sweden\u2019s Maoli Duan, a co-author of the study, said in a press statement<\/a>. \u201cSmaller studies in China have previously shown positive results in children, but this is the first time that the method has been tested in teenagers and adults, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Researchers delivered the treatment via a synthetic adeno-associated virus, or AAV, a well-known vector for gene therapy<\/a> as it can deliver DNA directly to targeted cells. The ability to generate these AAV particles so that they contain no viral genes but only DNA required for therapeutic intervention has made them one of the safest methods for gene therapies<\/a>. Scientists then injected a functional version of the OTOF gene in the \u201cround window,\u201d a membrane at the base of the cochlea. <\/p>\n After a month of treatment, the patients were already showing signs of improvement, and six months later, they reported even greater auditory gains. While this was one of the first treatments on teenagers and adults\u2014and all ages showed signs of improvement\u2014the biggest gains were between the ages of five and eight. According to the researchers, one seven-year-old girl showed the greatest transformation, recovering nearly all of her hearing and holding daily conversations with her mother just four months later. <\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n