Gene therapy trials treat inherited blindness and deafness

A toddler in the United Kingdom has had her hearing restored, becoming the first person worldwide to benefit from a groundbreaking gene-therapy trial.

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

However, after undergoing surgery that lasted just 16 minutes and receiving an infusion containing a functional copy of the gene, the 18-month-old can now hear almost perfectly and delights in playing with toy drums.