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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Andrew Gregory Health editor

UK toddler has hearing restored in world first gene therapy trial

Opal Sandy
Opal Sandy, who was born completely deaf because of a rare genetic condition, can now hear unaided for the first time. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

A British toddler has had her hearing restored after becoming the first person in the world to take part in a pioneering gene therapy trial, in a development that doctors say marks a new era in treating deafness.

Opal Sandy was born unable to hear anything due to auditory neuropathy, a condition that disrupts nerve impulses travelling from the inner ear to the brain and can be caused by a faulty gene.

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