Death After Experimental Gene-Editing Trial in China Triggers Ethics Questions

A six-year-old girl in China died a week after receiving an experimental spinal infusion of viruses designed to reach the brain and correct a rare non-life-threatening genetic condition, in a trial funded by her parents who paid more than $800,000. Investigators say the risks were downplayed and that researchers proceeded with low odds of success, prompting calls for a full data review and raising questions about testing such therapies in non-fatal conditions and the path from preclinical work to clinical use.