Washington: A six-year-old Chinese girl died last year after receiving experimental gene-therapy to cure a non-life-threatening condition, according to an investigation by Science and Retraction Watch.The girl, who was given the pseudonym “Mei”, died last March a week after receiving a spinal infusion of trillions of viruses designed to enter the brain and cure a rare genetic condition that left her with mild cognitive impairment, reports said Thursday. But his parents, who paid more than $800,000 for the experiment, were not adequately informed about the risks, the report said.The lead researcher published a paper on related animal studies in the journal Nature, which made no mention of Mei, saying only that “Bridging the gap between preclinical research and clinical translation remains a significant challenge.”Mei had a rare genetic condition called Snijders-Bloc-Campeau syndrome, which affects only 237 people worldwide. Due to a single mutated DNA base, a T that should be C, most affected individuals have a normal life expectancy, have larger than normal heads and intellectual deficits, although the extent varies widely.The trial was led by neuroscientist Zilong Qiu, one of several researchers racing globally to turn base editors – a more precise form of CRISPR gene editor – into custom treatments for children with rare genetic conditions.Seven experts who reviewed the details said Qiu and his team underestimated the risks and moved forward despite a low probability of success. He also called for a full review of the data presented for the Nature paper, and said some conclusions may need to be retracted. The case also raises questions about whether such treatments should initially be tested on patients with non-malignant conditions.(This is an AFP story)