The largest study ever of people with hearing problems has identified new genes involved in age-related hearing loss. A lead to new treatments.
Researchers from King’s College London and University College London have discovered 44 genes responsible for hearing loss in children and the elderly. The results of this study, which were published in theAmerican Journal of Human Genetics could make it possible to identify new therapeutic pathways in hearing loss. This disease is a cause of social isolation and disability for which hearing aids and implants are the only treatments available.
The largest analysis to date
This new study using data from UK BioBank, Twins UK and ELSA was carried out on 250,000 British volunteers aged 40-69 who suffered from age-related hearing loss is the largest genetic analysis carried out to date. day on people with hearing problems. “We now know that many, many genes are involved in hearing loss with age. This study identified genes that we already know cause deafness in children, but it also revealed many additional genes that point to new biological pathways,” says Professor Frances Williams, who led the work.
Understand how hearing loss develops with age
The research team wanted to identify the genetic ingredients of age-related hearing loss in the UK so that they could understand how this loss develops with age. She discovered 44 new genes associated with age-related hearing loss, 34 of which had never been associated with this disability before. “Prior to our study, only five genes had been identified as predictors of age-related hearing loss, so our results point to a nine-fold increase in independent genetic markers,” says Sally Dawson, of University College London, University College London.
These findings should help researchers resolve the sequence of events that lead to hearing loss based on the age of the affected person. The authors now plan to study how each identified gene influences the auditory pathway, which will allow them to develop new treatments.
According to a 2015-2016 report, published in Ehima (European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association), approximately 16% of French people report having hearing difficulties, while disabling hearing loss affects 8.6% to 11.2% of French especially after 50 years.
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