A six-year-old girl, identified by the pseudonym "Mei," died in 2025 about a week after receiving a spinal infusion of trillions of viruses engineered to penetrate the brain in an experimental gene-editing trial aimed at correcting a rare genetic condition causing delayed cognitive development [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Mei’s parents reportedly paid more than $800,000 to fund the experiment and were not adequately informed of the risks involved [1, 2, 3, 5].
Mei’s death resulted from a severe immune reaction linked to the gene therapy treatment, according to reports [4]. The lead scientist in the trial was neuroscientist Zilong Qiu, who published related animal study findings in Nature without disclosing the girl’s death or involvement [1, 2, 3, 5]. Xinhua Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was fined about 24,000 yuan (roughly $3,500) by local authorities in September 2025 for issues connected to the trial, though no public sanctions were announced against Qiu at the time [4].
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine announced a formal investigation on July 26, 2026, following a joint report published by Science and Retraction Watch on July 23 detailing Mei’s death and the gene-editing experiment [1, 2, 3, 5]. The university stressed its commitment to research ethics and integrity, stating, "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" and that "Serious action will be taken in accordance with the investigation’s findings" [1].
This incident marks a setback for China’s ambitions to lead in biotechnology after the 2018 gene-edited babies controversy involving He Jiankui [1, 2, 3, 5].
The medical community and regulators await the results of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s comprehensive review as the investigation proceeds [1, 2, 3, 5].
