Chinese university investigating girl’s death in gene-editing trial

A Chinese university is looking into reports that a gene-editing trial caused the death of a 6-year-old girl, which was not disclosed in the published research, the school said Sunday.

The girl, given the pseudonym “Mei,” died last year about a week after receiving a spinal infusion of trillions of viruses designed to penetrate the brain for treatment, according to a joint investigation by Science and Retraction Watch.

The experimental gene therapy was meant to fix a rare genetic condition that caused delayed cognitive development, the report said Thursday.

Neuroscientist Zilong Qiu, the lead researcher, went on to publish a paper on related animal studies in the journal Nature that made no mention of Mei.

In response, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine said in a statement that it “attaches great importance to the matter and has set up a special working group to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident.”

“The School of Medicine has always attached great importance to scientific research integrity and research norms, and firmly opposes conducting medical scientific research in violation of scientific research ethics,” it said.

The statement added that “serious action” would be taken in accordance with the investigation’s findings.

Mei’s parents, who paid more than $800,000 to fund the experiment, were not adequately informed about the risks, the report by Science and Retraction Watch said.

Qiu was aiming to offer the world’s first gene-editing therapy directed at the brain, rewriting the mutated gene in her neurons so she could make a vital protein, it said.

The previously undisclosed death is a fresh blow to China’s ambitions to rival the United States as a biotech power following the 2018 scandal involving He Jiankui, a biophysicist who secretly produced gene-edited babies.

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Andrew Zinin

Master’s in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X’s editorial success.

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