UK fertility watchdog considers laws for gene editing and lab-grown eggs

This is one of two articles published on the same day in the Guardian that suggests an emerging strategy to modify the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. Based on notable contributions from Robin Lovell-Badge, a leading figure in global discussions about the future of genome editing, this article discusses expected impending recommendations from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to update the 1990 Act. Lovell-Badge is extensively quoted in the article, and he argues that changes to the legislation are urgent because public demand for new technologies will be high once they are developed. It specifically mentions possible changes to the legislation, including extension of the 14-day rule, which the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) suggested in its 2021 updated guidelines. The Steering Committee of the ISSCR Task Force that issued the revised guidelines was chaired by Lovell-Badge.