Chinese scientists affiliated with the military have engineered a lethal mutant coronavirus strain, GX_P2V, with a 100% mortality rate in mice, igniting concerns over the potential transmission to humans.
The unprecedentedly swift demise of all infected mice within eight days prompted the researchers to investigate further. Surprisingly, the virus demonstrated high viral loads in the mice's brains and eyes, indicating a distinctive pattern of multiplication and spread, distinct from the known behavior of COVID-19, reported the DailyMail.com.
Professor Francois Balloux, an infectious disease expert at University College London, wrote on X, "It's a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanized mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong."
The virus, cloned from a COVID-like strain found in pangolins, was used to infect mice genetically modified to express a human protein, simulating human reactions.
One of the Chinese researchers was Dr. Yigang Tong, who was trained at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, a Chinese military medical research institute run by the People's Liberation Army.
In the unreleased scientific paper, the researchers highlighted the alarming "spillover risk of GX_P2V into humans."
Professor Richard Ebright of Rutgers University expressed concern over the absence of information about "biosafety precautions," raising the possibility that the research may lack essential containment measures, reminiscent of the concerns surrounding research in Wuhan before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Initially discovered in Malaysian pangolins in 2017, the virus was cloned and stored in a Beijing lab, where it continued to evolve. The study by the Beijing University of Chemical Technology hinted at a potential virulence-enhancing mutation during storage, intensifying its lethality.
Eight mice were infected with the virus, another eight with an inactivated virus, and eight served as a control group. All mice exposed to the live virus succumbed to the infection within seven to eight days, displaying symptoms such as rapid weight loss, fatigue, and white eyes. The virus was found in significant amounts in various organs, including the brain, lungs, noses, eyes, and windpipes.
The researchers suggested a unique infection route, with the virus initially infecting via the respiratory system and subsequently migrating to the brain. This route differs from COVID-19, which typically causes lower lung infections and pneumonia.
While the study highlights concern, previous studies on the original COVID-19 strain also demonstrated a 100% mortality rate in mice.
Notwithstanding the known transmission risks to humans, Ebright recently noted that the U.S. government is still funding research.
"The website for federal grants shows EcoHealth Alliance currently has 11 active grants … worth a total value of $46 million. Almost all were signed after the Covid pandemic emerged — with two worth $4.5M signed off as recently as 2022." Ebright said on X.
Dr. Christina Parks, a molecular biologist from the University of Michigan, said the Chinese study was "classic gain of function, whether they tell you it is or not."
Dr. Gennadi Glinsky, professor of Translational and Functional Genomics, added, "Congress must act to stop this madness."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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