DEAFNESS GENE FOUND

DEAFNESS GENE FOUND

There are many underlying causes of deafness and other gene mutations may also contribute to inherited deafness. For this reason, it unlikely that identification of a single gene that can cause deafness will lead to a cure for all deafness. Improved understanding of the genetic factors that affect hearing may eventually suggest new ways to treat or prevent hearing loss, but such developments take time and are not guaranteed.

Dr Margit Schraders and colleagues from Redbud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands carried out research now published in the American Journal of Human Genetics

The research looked at the DNA of people who had inherited deafness from both sides of their family. It found that they had mutations in both copies of a gene called PTPRQ, which suggests that this gene may normally play a role in hearing or the development of structures within the ear. This study provides impetus for further research into the role of the PTPRQ gene in hearing. Studies will also need to establish what proportion of people with inherited hearing loss have mutations in the gene.

Hearing impairment can be caused by a variety of environmental and genetic factors. For this reason, it is unlikely that the identification of a single gene that can cause deafness will lead to a cure for all deafness. Improved understanding of the genetic factors that affect hearing may eventually suggest new ways to treat or prevent hearing loss, but such developments take time and are not guaranteed

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Written by Dr Martin Harris, Doctor and Mohel for Jewish Circumcision Clinic in London Bris Mila Brit Milah.
www.circumcisionlondon.co.uk

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Contact Dr Martin Harris