Here at RestorEar, we are passionate about preventing hearing loss for people across life stages, from those exposed to loud noise at work to individuals receiving cochlear implants. But many people are born with hearing loss. Congenital deafness—hearing loss present from birth—is often caused by genetic mutations, many of which are still unknown. These mutations can significantly impact a child’s communication skills, social development, and overall quality of life. Identifying the exact genes involved is crucial to developing effective therapies.

Exciting new research published in Development has uncovered potential genetic culprits behind congenital deafness, which could pave the way for better diagnosis and treatment in the future. The study, led by King’s College London and George Washington University, has zeroed in on several promising candidate genes that may be linked to congenital deafness. The research focused on a protein called Six1, already known to be involved in hearing development. Scientists used advanced computer models to identify over 150 potential genes regulated by Six1 in chick embryos—genes that play a key role in forming the inner ear.

Further investigation confirmed that Six1 directly influences these genes and that reducing its presence disrupts their activity. Notably, many of these genes are also active in human ear cells, and a quarter of them are located in chromosome regions previously associated with deafness.

What makes this discovery even more significant is that the regulatory DNA regions controlling these genes are highly conserved between birds and humans—despite 600 million years of evolution. This suggests these genetic mechanisms are fundamental to ear development across species.

The researchers hope their work on Six1 and its related genes will lead to a deeper understanding of how the inner ear develops—and eventually, to new ways of diagnosing and treating congenital deafness. 

You can read about the full study here. For more hearing research news, subscribe to the RestorEar newsletter.