Today, Explained A new treatment for deafness
22 snips
Feb 2, 2024 Antonio Regalado, a biotech reporter at MIT Technology Review, explores groundbreaking gene therapies that could help children born deaf. He shares inspiring stories, like an 11-year-old who gains hearing through innovative treatment and Yi Yi, a girl who hears her mother for the first time. Regalado delves into the ethical implications of these advancements, considering the perspectives of the Deaf community and the cultural significance of deafness. The conversation highlights the balance between medical innovation and respect for linguistic identity.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Issam's Hearing Journey
- An 11-year-old Moroccan boy, Issam Dam, born deaf, traveled to Philadelphia for a clinical trial.
- A new gene therapy allowed Issam to hear for the first time.
Yi Yi Hears the World
- Yi Yi, a young girl in China, received gene therapy in one ear, having already had a cochlear implant in the other.
- She now hears natural sounds like never before, even complaining about nighttime noise.
How the Ear and Gene Therapy Work
- The ear contains around 16,000 hair cells, each tuned to a different frequency, converting vibrations into signals for the brain.
- This gene therapy addresses a mutation affecting a crucial chemical transmitter in this process.