Thanks to a groundbreaking 16-minute operation at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, Opal received the gene therapy developed by Regeneron. This therapy inserts a working copy of the OTOF gene into the ear using a harmless virus. The results were excellent: Opal now has almost perfect hearing.
The trial, called Chord, was run by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Opal was the first person in the world to receive this specific gene therapy.
The trial continues with the participation of more deaf children from the UK, Spain and the USA. The second child also completed the treatment process successfully.
The Chord program consists of three stages in which a total of 18 children participate. A low dose of gene therapy was applied to one ear of Opal and two other children. Another group will be given a higher dose and, if the treatment is safe, future participants will be able to have both ears treated.
News materials cannot be equated with a doctor’s prescription. Consult an expert before making a decision.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
