For The Union-Tribune Let’s hear it for gene therapy Ten out of 11 kids who received gene therapy for a rare variant of congenital deafness had significant improvements when tested one year after the surgery, reported doctors involved in the study. The therapy addresses mutations in the OTOF gene that cause hearing loss by delivering a new working copy of the gene. The hope is that by biologically repairing cell function, the doctors wrote, gene therapy could potentially restore the full spectrum of hearing, unlike cochlear implants, which transform sounds into electrical signals to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. The form of deafness treated affects 1 percent to 8 percent of deaf people globally, but the treatment could be adjusted to address other congenital forms. More than 12,000 children are born with hearing loss in the U.S. every year.   (Adobe Stock) Body of knowledge Human lips have a reddish color due to high concentrations tiny capillaries just below the skin. The blood in these capillaries is normally highly oxygenated and bright red. If a person is anemic or has lost a great deal of blood, the lips become pale. In cold weather, lips can appear blue because capillaries constrict, blood loses oxygen and changes to a darker color.   (Alessandro Grandini / Adobe Stock) Get me that. Stat! Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders, characterized by involuntary, rhythmic shaking movements, typically in hand, but sometimes the head, voice and legs. It often begins during adolescence or in middle age (40 to 50 years old). Half to 70 percent of cases are inherited.   Counts 3 — Number of years older people are who have lower levels of education, live alone or in a care home or don’t have a close relative when they receive an official diagnosis of dementia compared with those with higher levels of education or better support networks Source: JAMA Network Open   (Adobe Stock) Doc talk Peak bone mass — the maximum amount of bone tissue a person accumulates during their lifetime. For most people, peak bone mass occurs between ages 25 and 30 and, by age 40, most people are beginning to lose bone mass, though that rate of loss can be moderated by diet, exercise and good lifestyle habits.   (Adobe Stock) Phobia of the week Enetophobia — fear of sharp objects, particularly needles   Best medicine Patient: “Am I going to be OK, doctor?” Doctor: “Yes. Nothing to worry about. The procedure was routine and not at all complicated.” Patient: “Good, I hope you remember that when you’re writing up the bill.”   Observation “I gave up visiting my psychoanalyst because he was meddling too much in my private life.” — American playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983)   Medical history This week in 2008, the first procedure in Britain to implant “bionic” eyes was carried out at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London on two blind patients with retinal pigmentosa, but intact optic nerves. In four-hour operations, surgeons implanted a tiny electrode panel into the back of the eye and an ultra-thin receiver under the skin near the ear to pick up a wireless signal from a tiny camera on sunglasses and a signal processor worn on a belt. The patients could then perceive an array of spots of light showing crude shapes and movements.   Ig Nobel apprised The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate achievements that make people laugh, then think. A look at real science that’s hard to take seriously, and even harder to ignore. In 1996, the Ig Nobel Prize in economics went to Robert J. Genco of the University of Buffalo for his discovery that “financial strain is a risk indicator for destructive periodontal disease.” When making financial investments, chews wisely.   (Adobe Stock) Med school Q: Why does my nose burn when I inhale water up it? A: The inside of the nose is a salty environment. Cells have a certain saline content. Freshwater inhaled up the nose lacks salt and imbalances saline concentrations, triggering the burning sensation. Cold water increases the response, similar to an ice cream headache. The resulting flow of nasal mucus is the nose’s effort to restore its salty nature.   Last words “See you soon.” — Franz Reichelt (1878-1912) was an Austro-Hungarian tailor and inventor who had created a “parachute suit,” which was supposed to billow out between the arms and legs to create a slower, softer landing. Early tests from modest heights (20 to 30 feet) were largely unsuccessful. In one, Reichelt broke his leg. Undaunted, he decided to jump from the Eiffel Tower with news media in attendance. It did not go well. LaFee is vice president of communications for the Sanford Burnham Prebys research institute. ...read more read less