Chinese scientist faces probe after girl, 6, dies ‘following experimental gene therapy’

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.Xinhua Hospital, which is affiliated to the university, paid a small fine worth around 24,000 yuan (US$3,500) to local health authorities last September, but Qiu faced no public sanctions at the time.