Gene Editing Expands to New Types of Immune Cells Gladstone researchers fine-tuned CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to work on human immune cells called monocytes News provided by Share this article Share this article SAN FRANCISCO, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In the decade since the advent of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, researchers have used the technology to delete or change genes in a growing number of cell types. Now, researchers at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) have added human monocytes—white blood cells that play key roles in the immune system—to that list. A team of scientists at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco led by Alex Marson (left) and Nevan Krogan (right) fine-tuned CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to help understand how the human immune system fights viruses and microbes.