In certain embodiments the present invention provides a method of treating hearing loss comprising: (a) administering a gene suppression agent that suppresses both copies of an endogenous gene causing the hearing loss； and (b) administering an exogenous wild-type allele engineered to resist suppression by the gene suppression agent. The present invention provides in certain embodiments a method of treating a genetic hearing loss (GHL) in a patient in need thereof comprising: (a) identifying a mutation in a GHL-causing gene, wherein the mutation causes GHL in the patient； and (b) administering to the patient a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutic miRNA and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the GHL therapeutic miRNA is of 18 to 25 nucleotides in length and knocks-down the GHL-causing gene function at a higher level than it knocks-down gene function in a corresponding wild-type gene.
