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Common hearing loss-leading 'gene' identified for the first time

suffering from hearing impairment 9

Deafness or hearing loss – be it moderate or profound — is found to be prevalent in about 9 of every 10,000 children aging from 3 to 10 years, according to Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program.

In the 1980s, in a bid to find how common certain disabilities were among 10-year-old children, a surprising figure for deaf or ‘hard of hearing’ children surfaced – it’s astoundingly, 11 of every 10,000 children, who are of 10 years of age!

Otosclerosis, a single most common cause of hearing loss, a multi-factorial disease affects approximately 1 in 250 people. Interaction of genetic and environmental factors generally leads to the birth of this disease.

But, what is responsible for this loss of hearing? – Genes.

And the good news is, researchers recently – for the first time – have discovered the ‘gene,’called TGBF1 — which is responsible for this common cause of hearing loss among white adults.

This finding is, obviously, a step forward in the field of research, perhaps, towards finding new treatments for otosclerosis.

Thys, from the Department of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium, said,

The gene in which the variant is located points to a pathway that contributes to the disease. This may be a lead for better forms of treatment in the future; currently the best option is an operation.

However, there is often an additional component of hearing loss which can’t be restored by surgery. As the gene involved is a growth factor, and the disease manifests itself by the abnormal growth of bone in the middle ear, it may have a large potential for therapy.

Though, currently the best option to treat hearing loss is an operation, this gene-discovery may lead for better treatment forms in the future.

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