Gene therapy for inner ear disorders: a step into the future

Advances in molecular genetics and the development of new technologies for working with genes determine the beginning of a new era — gene therapy is becoming an important area of medicine, including audiology and otolaryngology. Today, the innovative therapeutic solutions for inner ear disorders have been developed and some gene therapy programs of the inner ear are already undergoing clinical trials. The purpose of our article is to show the current state of the gene therapy in the inner ear research, this most serious and complex area, located at the intersection of science and practice. To learn how to use new opportunities, it is necessary to raise awareness among doctors and patients about hereditary hearing loss. While clinical trial protocols are being improved, it is necessary to develop more reliable clinical diagnostic tools for the early detection of hereditary hearing loss and especially auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders.