The US FDA has reportedly started proceedings against James Wilson, head of the Philadelphia-based Institute for Human Gene Therapy, which may lead to his being banned for life from clinical experimentation. Wilson was in charge of the fateful gene therapy trial that resulted in the death of Jesse Gelsinger (Nature Med. 6, 6; 2000), who died as a result of being injected with a genetically altered virus when his medical condition was not suited to such a procedure. He is charged with several counts of failing to comply with clinical trial regulations and has 30 days to respond.