Revolutionary experiment in Shanghai led to the death of a 6-year-old girl: details were concealed
A Shanghai hospital promised a breakthrough treatment, but just a week after trillions of engineered viruses were injected into the brain of a 6-year-old patient, she passed away. Parents claim protection mechanisms failed and the tragedy was hidden.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University has launched an internal investigation following a report published in Science in collaboration with Retraction Watch. The investigation reveals that a six-year-old girl died after receiving experimental treatment as part of a brain gene-editing study. The fact of her death was concealed in a subsequent scientific publication in the prestigious journal Nature.
According to the investigation, the girl, referred to as "Mei," suffered from a rare genetic disease caused by a single DNA mutation that delayed her cognitive development. Doctors at Xinhua Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, offered her parents a groundbreaking experiment. The goal was to correct the mutation directly in brain cells using Base Editing technology, a more precise version of the CRISPR system. Had it succeeded, "Mei" would have been the first child in the world to undergo gene editing aimed directly at the brain.
Parents paid about $860,000
"Mei's" parents raised approximately $860,000 to fund the experimental treatment, believing their daughter was in the best hands at a hospital considered a pioneer in Chinese pediatric medicine. The research was led by neuroscientist Dr. Zilong Qiu from the university's Brain Research Center.
In late March 2025, trillions of engineered viruses were injected into the girl's spine to deliver the gene-editing system. However, just seven days later, "Mei" died following a severe immune response. The experiment was approved under a local regulatory path that did not require national health authority clearance. Following the death, the hospital faced only a modest fine, and the lead researcher faced no public sanctions.
The death that was not mentioned
After "Mei's" death, Qiu published a study in Nature based on animal research related to his technology. The article omitted the girl's death and the family's financial contribution. Furthermore, the experiment's registration on ClinicalTrials.gov remained unupdated for over a year.
"Mei's" parents decided to go public, having lost faith in the researchers and institutions involved. "The realization that all the protection mechanisms we were sure existed did not actually work completely changed the way we see the whole project," the father stated. Shanghai Jiao Tong University has since announced a special team to examine the case, promising severe measures if deficiencies are discovered.
Another blow to Chinese biotechnology
The case is causing ripples in the global scientific community, echoing the 2018 scandal involving scientist He Jiankui. According to Joy Zhang of the University of Kent, this case illustrates the gap between the reforms China has announced and their actual implementation on the ground.
