Gene therapy will help with deafness
Scientists were able to restore the hearing of a mouse with congenital deafness
The results of the study were reported by the Japanese media (for example, the NHK WORLD TV program, Research: Gene therapy effective in deaf mouse – VM).
During the experiment, biologists transplanted the Gjb2 gene into mice with a mutation that leads to congenital deafness. In the future, the experimental rodents had offspring with this pathology.
To heal one of the newborn mice, the researchers resorted to gene therapy. With its help, they affected the rodent's ear, as a result of which they managed to partially restore hearing in the experimental animal. The treated ear was able to pick up sound with a volume of 70 decibels (the volume level corresponds to the noise on the street), while the other ear did not hear sounds even with a volume of more than 90 decibels.
In the future, scientists plan to study the possibility of using this method of treatment in humans.
According to the data, about 30 thousand people in Japan suffer from congenital deafness caused by a mutation of the Gjb2 gene.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru08.04.2015