https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/dec/20/breakthrough-for-genetic-hearing-loss-as-gene-editing-prevents-deafness-in-mice
Citando:
"Deafness has been prevented in mice using gene editing for the first time, in an advance that could transform future treatment of genetic hearing loss.
The study found that a single injection of a gene editing cocktail prevented progressive deafness in baby animals that were destined to lose their hearing.
“We hope that the work will one day inform the development of a cure for certain forms of genetic deafness in people,” said Prof David Liu, who led the work at Harvard University and MIT.
Nearly half of all cases of deafness have a genetic root, but current treatment options are limited. However, the advent of new high-precision gene editing tools such as Crispr has raised the prospect of a new class of therapies that target the underlying problem."
(...)
"The study, published in the journal Nature, focused on a mutation in a gene called Tmc1, a single wrong letter in the genetic code, that causes the loss of the inner ear’s hair cells over time.
The delicate hairs, which sit in a spiral-shaped organ called the cochlea, vibrate in response to sound waves. Nerve cells pick up the physical motion and transmit it to the brain, where it is perceived as sound."
