Embryo gene editing is getting more precise, but how safe and ethical is the practice? | Euronews Tech Talks

In the summer of 2026, two studies revived the debate on embryo gene editing, a technique that consists of manipulating the DNA of a human embryo for reasons ranging from better understanding human development to preventing children from developing certain diseases. One study was led by Kathy Niakan at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, and the other by Dieter Egli at Columbia University in the United States. Both researchers employed base editing, a technique developed in 2016 to alter genetic material with greater precision than earlier methods. Both conducted their research on human embryos instead of mice, and both delivered results which caught the attention of many around the world. Embryo gene editing is not yet a medical reality. Scientifically, modifying the genes of a human embryo is extremely challenging. In addition, no country allows the modification of cells that can be passed on to offspring.