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Groundbreaking Gene Therapy, Holocaust Survivors, Hall of Fame Trio
Just reporting the facts.
Centrist Chronicle
January 25, 2024
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A young boy, aged 11 and born with congenital hearing impairment, experienced hearing for the first time following an innovative gene therapy treatment, as per the preliminary findings announced yesterday.
Aissam Dam, who has lived with hearing loss since birth due to a mutated otoferlin gene, became a pioneering patient in the United States. This gene, affecting an estimated 200,000 people worldwide, is crucial for sound transmission to the brain, as it produces a protein in the hair cells of the inner ear. In October, Dam underwent a groundbreaking surgical procedure at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where doctors replaced his defective otoferlin gene with a functioning one. Remarkably, within 30 days post-surgery, Dam's hearing improved significantly, reducing his hearing loss from complete to mild.
This trial in Philadelphia is among five similar ongoing trials, with others being conducted in China and Europe. The collective results from all these trials are expected to be revealed next month.
According to a recent report by an organization managing claims for Holocaust survivors, there are currently over 245,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors worldwide. This report, deemed the most thorough of its kind, was released just before International Holocaust Remembrance Day this Saturday.
During World War II, approximately 6 million Jews were victims of systematic extermination, mainly through poison gas or mass shootings, as part of the Nazi regime's objective to create an ethnically pure German state.
Since 1952, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany has been instrumental in securing nearly $90 billion in compensation from the German government for Jewish survivors. This compensation includes direct payments, healthcare expenses, and more. About half of the survivors are in Israel, while one-fifth each live in Western Europe and the United States, and another 12% in Russia. The majority of these survivors were children during the Holocaust, with the median age now being 86.
Tuesday night saw the return of excitement to the Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame, with the revelation of a three-member Class of 2024.
Esteemed third baseman Adrián Beltré and renowned Twins catcher Joe Mauer both secured their places in the National Baseball Hall of Fame on their inaugural BBWAA ballot. Meanwhile, Todd Helton, the formidable first baseman from the Rockies, was chosen on his sixth attempt. These results were announced on MLB Network.
The BBWAA-elected inductees will be joined by Jim Leyland, chosen by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, in a celebration ceremony scheduled for July 21 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York.