However, method could take a decade or more to be ready for human use<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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FRIDAY, Oct. 3, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 Oregon scientists have taken an early step toward creating lab-grown eggs using human skin cells, but the process faces major challenges before it could ever be used to help people have children.<\/p>\n
In the new study, published Sept. 30 in the journal Nature Communications<\/a><\/em>, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) replaced the nucleus of a human egg with one from a skin cell, hoping to create a fertilizable egg.<\/p>\n The resulting cells had chromosome abnormalities, however, meaning they would not develop healthy embryos.<\/p>\n \u201cWe kind of developed this new cell division that can reduce chromosome number,\u201d senior study author Shoukhrat Mitalipov<\/a>, director of the OHSU Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy in Portland, told The Associated Press<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still not good enough to make embryos or eggs genetically normal,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n To perform the experiment, scientists replaced the nucleus from an egg cell with one from a human skin cell. Because skin cells have two sets of chromosomes while eggs only have one, researchers had to trigger a process to force the cell to get rid of the extra set. They then fertilized the egg-like cells with donated sperm.<\/p>\n About 9% survived for six days in the lab, long enough to reach the blastocyst stage, an early stage of embryo development, The Associated Press<\/em> said.<\/p>\n Mitalipov called the results an early \u201cproof of concept\u201d but said much more research is needed. He estimated it could take a decade or more before the technology could be tested in people.<\/p>\n Outside experts offered mixed reactions, however.<\/p>\n Columbia University stem cell researcher Dietrich Egli<\/a> was concerned about the chromosome problems. But reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Eve Feinberg<\/a> of Northwestern Medicine called the results \u201can important step and very exciting,\u201d The AP<\/em> said, though she agreed that fixing the genetic issues will be critical.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s more about assisted reproductive techniques at the National Institutes of Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n