British girl's hearing restored in gene therapy first

Opal Sandy (second left). Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

By Jane Kirby, PA Media

A British girl has had her hearing restored after becoming the first person in the world to take part in a new gene therapy trial.

Opal Sandy, aged 18 months, was born completely deaf due to the condition auditory neuropathy, which is caused by the disruption of nerve impulses travelling from the inner ear to the brain.