Chinese scientist faces probe after girl dies ‘after experimental gene therapy’ - South China Morning Post

What the report says

South China Morning Post reported that Shanghai Jiao Tong University has opened an investigation into Qiu Zilong, a neuroscientist at the university’s brain centre, after allegations that a six-year-old girl died following an experimental gene-editing treatment. The case was described in a report by Science and Retraction Watch, which said the child, identified as Mei, received the therapy in March 2025 for a genetic mutation affecting her neurodevelopment.

According to the cited report, Qiu led the trial, which was intended to adapt base-editing technology for children with rare diseases. Mei’s parents said she experienced a fatal immune reaction associated with the treatment. Science and Retraction Watch reported that the treatment involved delivering genetic-editing instructions through a very large dose of viral vectors into her spinal fluid, and that she died seven days later.

The Post said Xinhua Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, had paid a fine of about 24,000 yuan, or roughly US$3,500, to local health authorities in September 2025. Qiu reportedly did not face public penalties at that time. The university’s current inquiry follows renewed scrutiny from the outside investigation.

The case matters because experimental gene-editing therapies, especially in children, raise high-stakes questions about safety testing, informed consent, medical oversight and accountability. Base editing is a newer gene-editing approach being explored for genetic disorders, but the reported death underscores the risks of moving early-stage techniques into human treatment settings before their safety is clearly established.