Can human egg cells be created from blood sample? Scientists say yes

Summary

In what could be a breakthrough in reproductive medicine, a US biotechnology company says it has successfully created the world's first early-stage human egg cells from stem cells, an advance that could one day transform fertility treatment for millions of people. The California-based startup, Conception, announced that it had generated primary oocytes, or immature human egg cells, by reprogramming blood cells into stem cells and then coaxing them to develop into miniature human ovaries containing early egg cells. I’m so excited to share this update on @Conception – We’ve generated the first early human eggs derived from stem cells. Scientists first convert blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)—adult cells that have been reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells and can develop into many different cell types. These stem cells are then guided to form miniature, lab-grown ovarian tissue, where early-stage egg cells develop naturally inside structures that resemble human ovarian follicles. Although these cells are still far from becoming mature eggs, researchers describe the achievement as an important step toward in vitro gametogenesis (IVG)—the process of creating eggs or sperm entirely in the laboratory from stem cells. Creating functional eggs from stem cells has already been achieved in mice. In 2016, Japanese scientist Katsuhiko Hayashi and colleagues successfully produced healthy mice from eggs derived from stem cells, with the offspring growing normally and later reproducing naturally. Experts have pointed to concerns around the long-term safety of stem cell-derived eggs, embryo research, genetic parenthood, equitable access to the technology, and how it should be regulated before it ever reaches fertility clinics. Reviews in reproductive medicine have noted that while stem cell-derived gametes hold enormous promise, translating the technology safely from laboratory experiments to clinical care will require careful scientific and ethical oversight.