Hearing Loss Gene Discovered

Belgian scientists have identified a gene responsible for the most common cause of hearing loss among white adults — otosclerosis.

A University of Antwerp team, led by Melissa Thys, said the finding might lead to new treatments for the malady that affects approximately 1 in 250 people.

Otosclerosis causes progressive hearing loss as the growing bone in the middle ear interrupts sound waves passing to the inner ear. While the causative factors remain unknown, one of the genetic components has been identified.

The gene (TGBF1) in which the variant is located points to a pathway that contributes to the disease, said Thys. “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 that can’t be restored by surgery, she added. 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.

The research was reported during this week’s annual meeting of the European Society of Human Genetics in Nice, France.