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AAV-OTOF Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Teens and Adults

Six-month outcomes reveal an average hearing improvement from 106 to 52 decibels across all age groups under a safe, well-tolerated protocol.

Image
Audiologist doing impedance audiometry or diagnosis of hearing impairment. (© Dusko - stock.adobe.com)
© PeopleImages.com - Yuri A via Shutterstock
The results also show that the treatment was safe and well-tolerated. Credit: Neuroscience News

Overview

  • Ten patients aged one to 24 at five hospitals in China received a single AAV-OTOF injection through the cochlear round window in a Karolinska Institutet–led trial
  • Most participants began regaining some hearing within one month of treatment
  • Pure-tone averages improved from 106 decibels at baseline to 52 decibels at six months, demonstrating substantial functional gains
  • No serious adverse events were reported over six- to 12-month follow-up; the most common mild side effect was a transient reduction in neutrophil counts
  • Researchers have launched extended monitoring to assess long-term durability and are planning to adapt the AAV approach to other genes causing genetic deafness