Scientists announced on Tuesday that, for the first time, they have transformed human skin cells into eggs and successfully fertilized them with sperm in a lab—a breakthrough that could eventually help infertile individuals have children.
The U.S.-led team of scientists cautioned that the technology is still many years from being accessible to hopeful parents.
However, independent experts noted that this proof-of-concept study could one day redefine infertility, a condition that impacts one in six people globally.
If it proves successful, the technique—known as in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG)—could enable older women or those without viable eggs to have genetically related children, said Paula Amato, co-author of the new study, in an interview with AFP.
Potential for Same-Sex Genetic Parenthood and Recent Scientific Progress
Amato, a researcher at Oregon Health & Science University, also noted that the method could make it possible for same-sex couples to have a child genetically linked to both partners.
In recent years, scientists have made major progress in this area, including a July announcement from Japanese researchers who created mice with two biological fathers.
However, the latest study—published in Nature Communications—represents a significant step forward because it uses human DNA instead of relying on mice.
The researchers began by taking the nucleus out of regular skin cells and inserting it into a donor egg that had its own nucleus removed—a method known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, the same technique used to clone Dolly the sheep in 1996.
But they faced a challenge: skin cells contain 46 chromosomes, while eggs only have 23.
To solve this, the team developed a technique they call “mitomeiosis,” which imitates the natural process of cell division to remove the extra chromosomes.
The team created 82 developing egg cells, called oocytes, and then fertilized them with sperm using in vitro fertilization (IVF).
After six days, fewer than 9% of the embryos progressed far enough to theoretically be eligible for transfer to a uterus in a typical IVF procedure.
However, due to various abnormalities observed in the embryos, the experiment was ultimately halted.
Although the 9% success rate was low, the researchers pointed out that in natural reproduction, only about one-third of embryos reach the IVF-ready “blastocyst” stage.
Amato estimated that the technology is still at least ten years away from widespread use.
She explained, “The main challenge is producing genetically normal eggs with the correct number and arrangement of chromosomes.”
Significant Advance
Ying Cheong, a reproductive medicine expert at the University of Southampton in the UK, praised the breakthrough as “exciting.”
She explained, “For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that DNA from regular body cells can be inserted into an egg, activated, and induced to reduce its chromosomes by half, replicating the unique process that normally forms eggs and sperm.”
“Although this is still in the early stages of lab research, it has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of infertility and miscarriage, and possibly one day provide a way to create egg- or sperm-like cells for people without other options.”
Other scientists working on creating eggs in the lab are using a different approach. They reprogram skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, which can develop into any cell type, and then convert those into eggs.
Amato said, “It’s too soon to know which method will prove more effective. Either way, it will still take many years.”
The study also noted that the researchers adhered to current US ethical guidelines governing embryo use.
Read the original article on: Phys.Org
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