There are crores of people in the world who are unable to hear since birth A new hope has arisen for them. Recently, an 11-year-old boy named Aisam Dam underwent a unique treatment in which the genes of his ear were changed. After this gene therapy, Aisam heard voices for the first time. Aisam’s success has given rise to a new hope for millions of deaf people around the world. Doctors are hoping that in the coming time, similar gene therapy will make it possible to treat other deaf people as well. Let’s know about it..
Gene therapy gives hearing power
Isam was born deaf because she had a very rare genetic error. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) gave Aismum a gene therapy that was done for the first time in America. After 4 months of this treatment, Aismum’s hearing ability in one ear has greatly improved. Now he is in a state of mild to moderate deafness and is able to hear sounds for the first time in his life. Doctors at CHOP say that this research is a ray of hope for millions of genetically deaf people around the world.
Know how it works
The main reason for Aism’s deafness was the absence of a protein called otoferlin in his ear cells. This protein is necessary for understanding sound. Aisam underwent surgery on 4 October 2023. In this, a new otoferlin gene was inserted into his ear with the help of a virus. Due to this, his ear cells became active again and he started hearing sounds. After four months, Aisam’s hearing ability increased a lot.
FDA approved
Aisam was born in Morocco. Later he went to Spain. According to the New York Times report, since Aisam spent her childhood in Morocco, she may have difficulty learning Spanish. Therefore, even though Aism’s hearing ability has improved, he may have difficulty speaking once he crosses the age limit of learning a new language. This gene therapy study on Aism has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. (FDA) approved.