Three years after researchers first injected deaf children with a treatment designed to give them hearing, an early scientific consensus is emerging: This gene therapy works. A team of researchers published on Wednesday the most promising results to date: In a clinical trial in China, 90% of participants reported significant improvement in their hearing after receiving an injection.
The therapy even improved hearing in a few adults, including a 32-year-old. The results were published in Nature.
“In some patients, the hearing improved so well that they can hear whispers,” said Zheng-Yi Chen, a study author and Mass Eye and Ear otolaryngologist. “To reach a stage where you can hear normal conversation, it’s mind-boggling.” Continue to STAT+ to read the full story...
STAT News published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 22 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on STAT+: Gene therapy trial for deafness adds evidence to drug’s efficacy.
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