Discovery of Deafness Gene Brings Treatment for Hearing Loss a Step Closer
January 5, 2012
Scientists have found a single gene they believe could hold the key to age-related deafness.
The breakthrough brings the prospect of a treatment to prevent hearing loss, which affects half of people over 60, a step closer.
When the FGF20 gene was taken out in mice, the animals appeared perfectly healthy, but could not hear at all.
The researchers, at Washington University School of Medicine, found two-thirds of their outer hair cells, the delicate cells in the inner ear which amplify sounds, had disappeared.
Damage to these cells is associated with the most hearing loss related to old age, noise exposure and some genetic conditions.
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