A novel gene therapy designed to target a form of inherited deafness restored hearing function in five children who were treated in both ears. The children also experienced better speech perception and gained the ability to localize and determine the position of sound. The study, the world’s first clinical trial to administer a gene therapy to both ears (bilaterally), demonstrates additional benefits than what were observed in the first phase of this trial, published earlier this year, when children were treated in one ear. The research was led by investigators from Mass Eye and Ear (a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system) and Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, and findings were published in Nature Medicine .

“The results from these studies are astoundin

See Full Page