Pioneering gene therapy restores deaftoddler's hearing | BBC News

A UK toddler born deaf can now hear unaided, after agroundbreaking gene-therapy treatment.

Opal Sandy was treated shortly before her firstbirthday - and six months on, can hear sounds as softas a whisper and is starting to talk, saying words suchas "Mama", "Dada" and "uh-oh".

Given as an infusion into the ear, the therapy replacesfaulty DNA causing her type of inherited deafness.

The trial is recruiting patients in the UK, US and Spain.