(NewsNation) — For the first time, scientists have successfully created human eggs from skin cells that can be fertilized. This groundbreaking study could transform fertility treatment and expand options for people struggling to conceive, including same-sex couples.
Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University used a technique called mitomeiosis to create functional embryos by replacing the DNA from eggs with genetic material from a person’s skin cells. Those eggs were then fertilized with sperm in a laboratory, forming embryos that could later be transferred into a woman’s womb using in vitro fertilization.
The research, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, is a “proof-of-concept” study, still in its earliest stages, and further research is required to “ensure efficacy and safety” before clinical trials.
Method could be used for same-sex male couples: Co-author
The study suggests it could one day be possible for two men to have a biological child together without needing a woman’s DNA. It could also help women who are unable to produce eggs due to age, infertility or medical treatments.
“In addition to offering hope for millions of people with infertility due to lack of eggs or sperm, this method would allow for the possibility of same-sex couples to have a child genetically related to both partners,” said co-author Paula Amato, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine.
Scientists said the technology could theoretically create an unlimited supply of fresh eggs.
Breakthrough still a decade from clinical use
One of the biggest challenges researchers faced was ensuring the correct number of chromosomes in the lab-grown eggs. Healthy human eggs contain 23 chromosomes, which pair with 23 more from sperm during fertilization, a crucial step for developing a viable embryo.
In the initial study, scientists fertilized the lab-created eggs and then used a compound called roscovitine to activate them. This prompted the eggs to push roughly half of their chromosomes into a structure known as a polar body, leaving the remaining ones to pair with those from the sperm.
However, instead of pairing correctly, the chromosomes often segregated and combined randomly, resulting in embryos with the wrong number or mismatched chromosomes.
Researchers generated 82 eggs, but only 9% developed into embryos, and all showed chromosomal abnormalities. None were implanted and all were destroyed.
Experts estimate it could be a decade or more before the technique is ready for clinical use. Even if the success rate increases, some scientists question the potential ethical and regulatory issues surrounding the use of lab-grown eggs to create babies.