The moments when the deaf child, who heard for the first time after gene therapy, danced were heartwarming

A video was shot of a little boy who was deaf from birth dancing for the first time after an injection that gave him the ability to hear. The boy was one of five deaf children who regained hearing in both ears.

As part of a clinical trial conducted at the Fudan University Eye and Ear Nose and Throat Hospital in Shanghai, in partnership with Mass General Brigham Eye and Ear researchers, children were administered a new gene therapy targeting hereditary deafness called DFNB9. After the treatment, the children regained the ability to hear for the first time and were able to perceive speech and where sounds came from.

In a video taken 15 weeks after the injection, a little boy who previously could not hear anything is seen dancing to the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and waving his hands excitedly. The video also shows the child reacting to sounds coming from different directions and losing his balance.

In the weeks after treatment, the little boy tried to understand some words and say words such as “Baba” (father) and “Ayi” (aunt/aunt).

“The results of these studies are surprising. The hearing abilities of the treated children were greatly improved, and the new study shows additional benefits of applying the gene therapy to both ears,” said researcher Zheng-Yi Chen.

More than 430 million people worldwide have hearing loss, and 26 million of them are deaf from birth. Up to 60% of childhood deafness is caused by genetic factors.

This new study is the first to apply gene therapy to both ears. Yilai Shu, the study’s lead author, injected viruses carrying copies of the gene into the children’s inner ears. Five children were observed for 13 and 26 weeks. All showed hearing recovery in both ears and major improvements in speech perception and sound localization. Two children were able to perceive the music and were recorded dancing to the music.

The trial is ongoing and the children continue to be monitored. Dr. “Restoring hearing in both ears in congenitally deaf children can maximize the benefits of hearing recovery,” Shu said. Dr. “Our study supports treating children with DFNB9 in both ears, and our hope is that this approach can be used for other genetic or non-genetic causes of deafness,” Chen said.