Latest news with #deafness
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
10 People Thought Their Hearing Was Gone Forever—Until Doctors Tried Something Radical
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: The majority of deafness cases throughout the world are genetic in origin, and for years, scientists have exploring ways that gene therapies could make deafness a thing of the past. By delivering a functional version of the OTOF gene, which plays a big role in transmitting auditory signals from the ear to the brain, patients' hearing drastically improved from perceptible sound decreasing from 106 decibels to just 52 decibels. The OTOF gene was delivered via injection in the membrane at the base of the cochlea using an adeno-associated virus, or AAV, a well-tested and safe method for genetic therapies. The world is filled with noises that can lead to permanent hearing loss. Just go to a rock concert for a few hours, and the resulting days-long tinnitus is enough anatomical evidence to prove the point. However, the majority of cases regarding hearing loss in children and adults comes from genetics, an unfortunate mutation somewhere in a person's genome that interrupts the otherwise remarkable process of turning sound waves into electrical signals that can be interpreted by our brain (aka auditory transduction). With the arrival of gene-editing tools, such as CRISPR, scientists have begun making strides to make hereditary deafness a thing of the past. However, as you might expect, achieving such a medical miracle isn't easy. More than 120 genes have been linked to hearing loss, so isn't like you can just flip a switch and fix the problem. Previous studies have analyzed different genes, including TMC1, Atp2b2, and others, typically on mouse models with positive results. But a new study, analyzing the gene OTOF, tested its gene therapy on ten patients between the ages of 1 to 24 at five hospitals throughout China. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, detailed how all ten patients experienced vast hearing improvement with perceptible sound increasing from 106 decibels (which is about the equivalent of a car horn at close range) to 52 decibels—below the range of a typical conversation. 'This is a huge step forward in the genetic treatment of deafness, one that can be life-changing for children and adults,' Karolinska Institutet in Sweden's Maoli Duan, a co-author of the study, said in a press statement. 'Smaller studies in China have previously shown positive results in children, but this is the first time that the method has been tested in teenagers and adults, too.' Researchers delivered the treatment via a synthetic adeno-associated virus, or AAV, a well-known vector for gene therapy as it can deliver DNA directly to targeted cells. The ability to generate these AAV particles so that they contain no viral genes but only DNA required for therapeutic intervention has made them one of the safest methods for gene therapies. Scientists then injected a functional version of the OTOF gene in the 'round window,' a membrane at the base of the cochlea. After a month of treatment, the patients were already showing signs of improvement, and six months later, they reported even greater auditory gains. While this was one of the first treatments on teenagers and adults—and all ages showed signs of improvement—the biggest gains were between the ages of five and eight. According to the researchers, one seven-year-old girl showed the greatest transformation, recovering nearly all of her hearing and holding daily conversations with her mother just four months later. Although promising for this particular genetic mutation, scientists have a long way to go before they can confidently reverse genetic hearing loss across the board. In fact, targeting OTOF may have been one of the easier challenges when it comes to genetic therapies for hearing loss. 'OTOF is just the beginning,' Duan said in a press statement. 'We and other researchers are expanding our work to other, more common genes that cause deafness, such as GJB2 and TMC1. These are more complicated to treat, but animal studies have so far returned promising results. We are confident that patients with different kinds of genetic deafness will one day be able to receive treatment.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Deaf people are regaining their hearing thanks to groundbreaking new treatment
A new gene therapy could restore hearing in deaf children and adults, a groundbreaking study suggests. Researchers from several Chinese hospitals looked at 10 patients who were either born deaf or developed severe hearing loss due to a genetic mutation. All of them, who ranged from infants to young adults, were injected one time with modified version of adeno-associated viruses (AAV). The viruses are not meant to spread disease but instead help deliver gene therapies to cells. The researchers found the treatment improved hearing in all 10 participants within a year, and most noticed a difference in just one month. On average, sounds only needed to be half as loud as previously played for participants to pick them up. Young children had the most significant improvements. One seven-year-old deaf girl was able to hold a conversation with her mother four months after treatment. The shot is thought to help restore functional copies of the OTOF gene, which helps transmit sound and was mutated in all of the participants. The team suspects the study 'is just the beginning' in developing treatments for the 200,000 deaf people worldwide who have a mutation in their OTOF gene. Maoli Duan, study author and consultant docent at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, said: 'This is a huge step forward in the genetic treatment of deafness, one that can be life-changing for children and adults.' The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature Medicine, included 10 people ages one to 24 with either congenital deafness - meaning they were born with it - or severe hearing impairment. All participants had mutations of their OTOF gene, which provides instructions for making the protein otoferlin. Otoferlin helps transmit sound from the inner ear to the auditory nerve. Each participant received hearing and genetic testing prior to the experiment. All of the participants received injections containing two AAV viruses in the cochlea of each of their ears. The cochlea is a fluid-filled cavity in the inner ear that converts auditory vibrations into electrical signals, which the brain interprets as sound. Before treatment, participants on average could only hear sounds at least 106 decibels, about the volume of a motorcycle, car horn or sporting event. After a year, they were able to hear sounds 52 decibels or louder, the same as a normal conversation. The seven-year-old girl in the study went from only being able to hear 101 decibels to 40 after only two weeks. Within two months, she could detect sounds above 25 decibels, about the volume as a whisper. After four months, the girl could have daily conversations with her mom with no assistive hearing devices. Only one participant was an adult, about 24 years old. The treatment allowed him to identify certain spoken words and the sound of hands clapping after several months. Dr Duan said: 'Smaller studies in China have previously shown positive results in children, but this is the first time that the method has been tested in teenagers and adults, too. 'Hearing was greatly improved in many of the participants, which can have a profound effect on their life quality. We will now be following these patients to see how lasting the effect is.' There were also no severe adverse reactions to the injections. Experts believe the injections may have helped provide the bodies of participants with functional copies of mutated genes, which may have helped their OTOF genes produce more otoferlin needed for hearing. OTOF mutations account for about two to eight percent of genetic deafness cases. Dr Duan said the new treatment 'is just the beginning.' She added: 'We and other researchers are expanding our work to other, more common genes that cause deafness, such as GJB2 and TMC1. These are more complicated to treat, but animal studies have so far returned promising results. 'We are confident that patients with different kinds of genetic deafness will one day be able to receive treatment.'
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gogglebox star reveals secret battle with deafness as they admit they're learning sign language in emotional update
A Gogglebox star has revealed his secret battle with deafness and admitted he is currently learning sign language. Daniel Lustig-Webb, 50, emotionally shared he is fully deaf in one ear and has been since he was a child. It's something that he admits he hid 'for years' but has now opened up about it to Scene Magazine. The hairdresser told the publication: 'I got mumps when I was younger, which caused an infection in my ear, and that left me with complete and permanent hearing loss in one ear. 'For years, I hid it. I didn't want people to see me as 'different' or less capable.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The TV star recalled how his hearing loss made school difficult at times and he was 'picked on' by other students. Teachers underestimated his ability and he found it hard to concentrate at times, 'not realising it was because I couldn't hear properly'. As an adult, Daniel's deafness has continued to impact his life and he described trying to communicate during social occasions such as parties as 'exhausting' and admitted it 'takes a toll'. As he turns 50 years old, Daniel has decided to open up about his deafness and intends to learn sign language. 'I'm planning to begin learning sign language because I want to connect with the deaf community and support others who might be struggling like I did. Deafness isn't a weakness, it's part of me,' he said. Daniel previously featured on Gogglebox alongside his husband Stephen Webb. The pair revealed they were getting a divorce in April 2024 after six years of marriage. Speaking on Best's Suddenly Single podcast earlier this year, Daniel opened up about their 'traumatic' and 'devastating' shock split as well as his current dating life. Daniel previously featured on Gogglebox alongside his husband Stephen Webb. The pair revealed they were getting a divorce in April 2024 after six years of marriage Despite making the decision to split up, Daniel revealed he and Stephen were still living under the same roof while they continued to sell their apartment. He said: 'We're still living together. We're trying to sell our apartment. We cohabit really well together. (The split) was quite a slow process, for a while we were still sleeping in the same bed. 'Then when Stephen went on Celebs Go Dating we agreed we'd sleep in separate bedrooms. 'We've found a way to work together, live together and be dog dads. It's always been about friendship. 'As soon as we started dating, I said, 'this guy is so different to me' but we got on so well, even though we came from completely different backgrounds.' Talking about their split, he added: 'It was devastating. For me, it was traumatic and although I knew things weren't great, I didn't see it coming. 'It was quite a slow process because we were completely entwined for so long, with our businesses, the dogs, we were so close in everything we did. 'There was nothing underhand happening, no-one had slept with anyone else. Stephen was the complete opposite to me, and we'd say opposites attracted, but fundamentally that was our problem in the end.' Speaking on Best's Suddenly Single podcast earlier this year, Daniel opened up about their 'traumatic' and 'devastating' shock split as well as his current dating life Confirming he is back on the market, Daniel said: 'Once I got over the shock, in the summer I was going on date after date with all these different types of people, I was on apps all the time, and now I realise I was trying to fill a void. 'Friends took me aside to ask if I was okay. Now I'm happy being single. I love going on dates but I don't need a long term relationship, I need to repair myself a little and learn who I am again. 'The first guy I dated (after Stephen), I went on about six dates with him in London. He was very nice, he knew my situation and it was teenage dating, nothing sexual at all, we'd go somewhere really nice and have a snog in the end. 'He did end it, I think he realised I wasn't in the right frame of mind.'
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Gogglebox's Daniel Lustig-Webb reveals life changing health diagnosis for the first time
GOGGLEBOX'S Daniel Lustig-Webb has revealed a life changing health diagnosis for the first time. Daniel, 50, known for his five-year run on the Channel 4 show, has told fans that he's been completely deaf in one ear since childhood. 5 The TV personality said his hearing loss is a result of mumps he contracted in his youth, which caused an infection that left him with permanent hearing loss in one ear. He explained that for years he kept it a secret due to insecurity and fear of being seen as 'different' or less capable. Daniel said: 'I've been half deaf since I was a child. I got mumps when I was younger, which caused an infection in my ear, and that left me with complete and permanent hearing loss in one ear. "For years, I hid it. I didn't want people to see me as 'different' or less capable. "At school, it was tough, I was often picked on and teachers told me I was 'thick' because I struggled to concentrate, not realising it was because I couldn't hear properly. "It made me really insecure. I thought I was just failing.' Daniel described the social challenges caused by his deafness, explaining: 'Going out with friends, trying to join in conversations at parties, it's exhausting. "You end up guessing what people say or pretending you hear it all. I'd mimic the conversation, hoping no one noticed. But it takes a toll. I've had to learn to listen differently, and sometimes I just switch off.' Following his 50th birthday, Daniel decided to embrace his diagnosis as part of a new chapter in his life. After leaving Gogglebox in 2023 and going through a divorce with OG star Stephen, he has focused on fitness, wellbeing, and self-acceptance. Gogglebox fans go wild as Stephen Lustig-Webb and his ex Daniel reunite just weeks after their shock split Daniel said: 'I feel ready to be open about it. At 50, I feel like it's finally time to stop hiding and to be proud of who I am. "I'm planning to begin learning sign language because I want to connect with the deaf community and support others who might be struggling like I did. Deafness isn't a weakness, it's part of me.' Hearing loss affects nearly 11 million people in the UK, approximately one in six adults. Daniel hopes his openness will help break down the stigma surrounding deafness. He said: 'I want to help break down the myths around deafness. It's not just about the sounds you can't hear, it's about the isolation, the frustration, the way it shapes your world. 5 5 "I've seen how people dismiss deafness because it's 'invisible'. But it's real. It's part of millions of lives. And it should be talked about openly, without shame.' Back in October, Daniel revealed he was back dating again since his marriage split – but admitted there's one thing a new partner will have to 'tolerate.' Daniel told The Sun: 'I was dating someone - if you can even call it that – we went on four dates in London, and it was really fun. 'But that was literally the first guy I dated since the split, so it was a bit of a learning curve. 'We were very similar in age though, we had a lot in common, it was very nice and we had a lot of fun.' But Daniel confessed things between the two of them 'dried up' romantically. The TV star, who said he'd be more than keen to give Celebs Go Dating a go, said people haven't really clocked on to his Gogglebox fame. Asked if he was worried people would swipe right because they'd seen him on the show, Daniel shared: 'The people I have chatted to or met haven't mentioned it on the first or second date, and if they sort of slip it in, I think 'Oh, that's quite cool.' You know what I mean. I don't want dating to be like an interview.' And the single star said he was trying his hardest not to be picky on his dating quest, sometimes unsuccessfully. Daniel added: 'I've been quite open, actually, because in the past I'd be like 'they must be this age, 'they must look like this. But now my age bracket is more open than it used to be. So that's interesting. 'To be honest, I'm not too picky but then when I meet them I can really be picky. Deafness What is deafness? Deafness is a partial or complete loss of the ability to hear. It can affect one or both ears. Causes: Common causes include aging, exposure to loud noise, infections, genetics, or injury. Types: Conductive: Problem with outer or middle ear. Sensorineural: Damage to inner ear or nerve pathways. Mixed: Combination of both. Signs to watch for: Difficulty following conversations, asking others to repeat, turning up volume loud. Treatment options: Hearing aids, cochlear implants, surgery, or therapy — depending on the cause and severity. Did you know? Over 11 million people in the UK suffer some form of hearing loss. Quick tip: Protect your ears from loud noise — use earplugs at concerts and keep volume low on headphones. 'I also don't like all the texting on the apps, I don't want a pen friend!' And the show favourite shared that anyone he dates will also have to accept that he and ex Stephen are still good friends. Daniel playfully added: 'It's something people will just have to put up with. We're business partners and also dog daddy's as we share a dog together. 'When I met Stephen I was still pals with my ex, and he took that on the chin. 'You don't have to be really good friends with these people but you have to respect it. It's some Louis Vuitton baggage!' Daniel doesn't want to 'live on the apps' when it comes to meeting someone knew, instead saying he prefers a more traditional way of going about things. 'I'd like to meet someone out, strolling along the beach with my dog or in a bar, like how it used to be. 'If a friend set me up on a date I'd have to put the parameters out there, and if they got it wrong I'd probably never speak to my friend again!' Despite Daniel's hunt for romance, the star has been busy juggling owning two hair salon businesses, alongside a life in the spotlight as a TV personality. He's recently appeared on The Weakest Link, and shares his desire to one day take to the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor, but 'doesn't feel famous at all.' Daniel added: 'If we're not filming anything or doing anything like life is just the same as everyone elses. 'I'm going out on the beach picking up the dog poo in the rain. I've got to run to get in my car quickly to get to work so I'm not late, you know, living the same life as everyone else.' And on a Gogglebox return? Well, Daniel said 'never say never.' 5 5
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Way We Talk review – sensitive drama explores deafness via three friends' infectious warmth
An incisive film-maker with a keen eye for contemporary youth culture, Hong Kong director Adam Wong has returned with another sensitive ensemble drama. The film follows three twentysomething friends as they navigate various degrees of deafness. Alan, played by first-time deaf actor Marco Ng, is a cochlear implant (CI) user. He is also an ambassador for the surgery, which can help restore sound perception for those with hearing loss. Wolf (Neo Yau), his childhood friend, is a staunch user and supporter of sign language, which at one point was prohibited in local deaf schools; such institutions prioritised speech training, then believed to work better for hearing-impaired students. Sophie (Chung Suet Ying) is at a crossroads: she is a CI user who cannot sign, but yearns to learn. It would, of course, be simplistic to portray these different forms of communication as inherently at odds with one another; instead, Wong's film emphasises that, whether it is CI surgery or sign language, deaf people must be granted the autonomy to make these decisions on their own. Besides posing these thought-provoking questions, Wong also constructs rich inner worlds for these characters, in which deafness is only one thread of a whole tapestry. Wolf's passion for the sea, for instance, is felt in the smallest of details, such as the ocean-themed trinkets that line his study desk. It's the kind of visual attention that renders his dismissal from a diving school due to a lack of sign language interpreters even more heartbreaking. Like many films dealing with social issues, The Way We Talk is not without its moments of didacticism, but the easy chemistry between the three leads lends the film a natural, infectious warmth that engagingly foregrounds its message of community. The Way We Talk is in UK cinemas from 13 June.
