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Exclusive: Death of girl in Chinese gene-editing trial was never made public (www.science.org)

submitted 2 days ago by zlatiah@lemmy.world to c/science@lemmy.world

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This is an exclusive report from Science News', jointly organized with Retraction Watch, on a gene editing tragedy.

The tragedy involved two parents paying $860,000 to partially fund an unapproved clinical trial of 1 to save their daughter from a rare neurodevelopmental disease, the work being done by a superstar researcher in China working at a highly prestigious research hospital, the girl subsequently dying because the research behind the trial was shoddy, and the death of the girl being buried. The research behind this was subsequently published in Nature, but the human trial component was completely erased.

This might shape up to be one of the largest gene editing scandals for a while

Try this Wayback Machine link if you are paywalled

There's also a brief follow-up article by Science News

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[-] daggermoon@piefed.world 6 points 2 days ago

Can they edit the depression and OCD out of my genes?

[-] spectrums_coherence@piefed.social 14 points 2 days ago

Maybe yes, maybe no, but they definitely can make you die from immune reponse though.

[-] daggermoon@piefed.world 3 points 2 days ago

That would be a sucky way to die, no doubt.

[-] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago

Yes but it might kill you

[-] village604@adultswim.fan 5 points 2 days ago

Thar's not such a deal breaker for depression

[-] The_Lurker@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

It's a win/win. Either way, I don't have to deal with it anymore.

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Nah, genes only define (among other factors) how likely you are to suffer it.

[-] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Not currently and this would be very difficult. These disorders are linked to the physical and chemical structure of the brain. The physical structure in particular develops as you become an adult and it would be fairly difficult to reverse once this happens. Shaping the formation process in younger people would be much easier.

The chemistry component might be easier to alter but then why not just use a safer and more reversible chemical approach for that?

Plus a lot of depression is highly linked to the environment you are in. I know it was for me. Changing to a healthier environment is the best cure for most people, though there are some for whom it won't work.