Cambridge scientists use base editing to block NANOG gene in human embryos, revealing it's essential for forming future body cells but not placenta or yolk sac—first precise gene function study in early human development.

First use of precision editing to study human embryo development reveals role of master gene

Research led by the University of Cambridge Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research has shown that a genome editing technique can be used to alter a single gene in human embryonic cells, enabling the study of very early human development in unparalleled detail.The technique, called base editing, is a more precise version of the genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas9. It can change a single nucleotide base pair - the basic building block of DNA - within a human genome of approximately 3 billion base p...