Treating Deafness
Silence may be golden, but cures are good.
Today’s piece comes via the New York Times.
In a world filled with profound silence, 11-year-old Aissam Dam may soon be seen as a beacon of hope and resilience. Born deaf and raised in a modest community in Morocco, Aissam communicated through a unique sign language he created, navigating a life without the gift of hearing and without formal education.
However, after a journey that traverses Morocco, Spain, and Philadelphia on October 4, a historic moment unfolded as Aissam became the first person in the United States to undergo gene therapy for congenital deafness.
Against the odds, the gene therapy proved to be a triumph, and Aissam finds himself in a new world – a world filled with sounds. In an interview last week, Aissam expressed his newfound joy, declaring, “There’s no sound I don’t like. They’re all good.”
This particular test trial, supported by Eli Lilly and Akouos, seeks to expand its reach to multiple centers across the United States. For Aissam it mean living in Philadelphia for four months, where he received gene therapy and follow-up tests, and defied expectations with remarkable results.
The success of Aissam's trial sets the stage for further exploration. Researchers now aim to include younger children in the study, with the hope of extending the benefits of gene therapy to a broader population. If proven effective and safe, this pioneering gene therapy could revolutionize the treatment of various genes causing deafness.
The power of science can be a wonderful thing, and when (as it is here) it is combined with the resilience of the human spirit it can result in good things.