Chinese scientist faces probe after girl, 6, dies ‘following experimental gene therapy’
A Chinese neuroscientist is under investigation following the death of a six-year-old girl who underwent an experimental gene-editing therapy. The trial, which lacked national regulatory approval, resulted in a fatal immune reaction.
Why it matters
This incident highlights critical ethical concerns and regulatory gaps in the rapidly advancing field of human gene editing.
A leading Chinese scientist is under investigation by his university after a six-year-old girl reportedly died following experimental gene-editing therapy.
The girl, named Mei, died days after receiving a treatment designed to correct a genetic mutation affecting her neurodevelopment in March last year, according to a report published by Science following a joint investigation with Retraction Watch, a non-profit organisation that monitors retracted research.
Her parents said she had suffered a fatal immune reaction linked to the treatment.
The trial was led by Qiu Zilong, a neuroscientist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s brain centre who is researching ways to adapt base editing into treatments for children with rare diseases.
“Seven days after the girl’s medical team infused trillions of viruses carrying the recipe for the base editor into her spinal fluid, she died of a severe immune reaction linked to the therapy,” Science and Retraction Watch said.
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