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Columbia Scientists Use Precise Base-Editing on Human Embryos

6/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

Columbia University researchers used a new base-editing technique to edit DNA in early human embryos with greater precision than conventional CRISPR.
They edited genes for cholesterol and fetal hemoglobin, producing some embryos with mosaic cell populations that mix edited and unedited cells and raise health-risk concerns.
Lead scientist Dieter Egli said the work is far from clinical use, urged debate, and noted funding from Nucleus Genomics has sparked eugenic criticism.

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Story summary

Columbia University researchers used a new base-editing technique to edit DNA in early human embryos with greater precision than conventional CRISPR.
They edited genes for cholesterol and fetal hemoglobin, producing some embryos with mosaic cell populations that mix edited and unedited cells and raise health-risk concerns.
Lead scientist Dieter Egli said the work is far from clinical use, urged debate, and noted funding from Nucleus Genomics has sparked eugenic criticism.