Researchers in the US have successfully created human eggs from skin cells, opening the door to a potential revolution in fertility treatments.
The early-stage work, led by Prof Shoukhrat Mitalipov at Oregon Health and Science University, could one day allow women who have lost their eggs due to age, illness, or chemotherapy to have genetically related children. The same process could also be adapted for same-sex male couples.
The technique builds on cloning methods first developed in the 1990s with Dolly the sheep. Scientists removed the nucleus from female skin cells and transferred it into donor eggs that had their own nuclei removed. These reconstructed eggs were then fertilised with sperm and chemically treated to encourage them to shed excess chromosomes.
So far, the process has proved inefficient. Out of 82 eggs created, fewer than 10% developed into early-stage embryos, and none grew beyond six days. Many carried the wrong number of chromosomes, making them unviable for healthy pregnancies.
Mitalipov called the findings a “proof of concept” and said refining the process could take another decade. Still, experts say the potential impact is enormous. Prof Richard Anderson of the University of Edinburgh described it as a “major advance” that could help women who lose eggs through medical treatments.
Others urged caution and transparency. Prof Roger Sturmey of the University of Hull said: “Breakthroughs such as this impress upon us the need for robust governance, to ensure accountability and build public trust.”
While still far from clinical use, the research suggests a future in which infertility could be tackled in entirely new ways — and families once thought impossible could become a reality.
