June 25, 2026

Base Editing & Human Embryo Development

A genome editing technique called CRISPR/Cas9 has been used to correct genes in children and adults with conditions like Sickle Cell Disease and certain cancers. Scientists had also hoped it might be used in future to remove disease-causing genes from embryonic cells – making the genetic changes permanent and heritable. However, research found that it leads to chromosomal abnormalities and should not be used in human embryos for gene correction.

Now, a more advanced genome editing technique called ‘base editing’ has been used by University of Cambridge scientists to study human embryo development for the first time. This extremely precise version of the conventional CRISPR/Cas9 technique has enabled them to alter a single gene in embryonic cells and study very early human development in unparalleled detail.

The peer-reviewed results, published in Nature, describe the advantages of this technique, and what its use has revealed about the development of pluripotent cells – the building blocks that are fundamentally important to human development.

Journalists came to this SMC Briefing to hear from the authors and put their questions to them. 

Speakers included:

Professor Kathy Niakan, Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge

Professor Mary Herbert, Professor of Reproductive Biology, Monash University and Newcastle University. UK

Dr Athanasios Papathanasiou, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director, Bourn Hall Clinic

Dr Valerie Shaikly, Consultant Clinical Scientist in Embryology, Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre (ARGC) 

This Briefing was accompanied by an SMC Roundup of comments.