Scientists have reported a major breakthrough in treating genetic deafness, as a single injection into the ear helped patients born deaf regain their hearing.

In the trial, researchers introduced a healthy copy of a key hearing gene into the inner ear, leading to noticeable improvements in hearing within just a few weeks.

The treatment focuses on a rare genetic form of deafness caused by mutations in the OTOF gene, which plays a key role in sending sound signals from the inner ear to the brain. In the trial, ten participants, including young children and young adults, received the injection and showed significant improvement in their hearing.

Most patients began responding to sounds within a month, with many reaching levels where they could clearly understand speech.

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Researchers also noted a major improvement in average hearing levels after the treatment. Younger patients showed the most remarkable progress, though adults and older children also experienced clear and meaningful hearing recovery.

Unlike hearing aids and cochlear implants, which only amplify sound or work around damaged parts, this gene therapy targets the root genetic cause of deafness. Experts believe it could open the door to treating a wider range of inherited hearing disorders in the future.

This breakthrough is seen as one of the most promising advances in hearing restoration and may accelerate the development of cures for genetic deafness.