Breakthrough in egg development faces chromosome abnormalities
- Oregon researchers successfully created egg-like cells from human skin cells, achieving fertilization.
- Approximately 9% of the cells reached the blastocyst stage, but created eggs exhibited chromosome abnormalities.
- Further research will be needed over the next decade to refine the method before it may be applicable in human trials.
In a significant scientific breakthrough, a team of researchers from Oregon Health & Science University has successfully transformed human skin cells into fertilizable eggs. This groundbreaking experiment was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications and signifies a promising step forward in the quest to develop laboratory-grown eggs and sperm, which could be instrumental for infertile individuals and same-sex couples seeking to have children genetically related to them. The method employed by the researchers involved removing the nucleus from a human egg cell and replacing it with the nucleus from a human skin cell. Skin cells typically contain two sets of chromosomes, while eggs and sperm are supposed to each have just one set. To address this discrepancy, the team induced the egg-like cells to discard these extra chromosomes, injected donated sperm, and stimulated post-fertilization development. Ultimately, about 9% of these cells successfully developed for six days in laboratory conditions, reaching the blastocyst stage, which represents an early phase of embryo development. Despite this achievement, the team faced significant challenges due to abnormalities in the chromosome structures of the resulting cells. Study senior author Shoukhrat Mitalipov, who oversees embryonic cell and gene therapy at OHSU, highlighted that the new cell division technique they developed could reduce the chromosome count but is not yet refined enough to produce genetically normal embryos or eggs. These findings, while a proof-of-concept, indicate that extensive further research is necessary before this technique can be considered for human trials, with experts suggesting it might take up to a decade. The scientific community's response to the findings has been mixed. Columbia University stem cell researcher Dietrich Egli expressed concern over the chromosome abnormalities present in the eggs created, indicating a need for careful consideration of the implications for reproductive health. In contrast, Dr. Eve Feinberg stated the work is an important breakthrough and expressed excitement over the team's ability to reduce chromosome numbers, although acknowledging that there is still work to do in perfecting the process. Overall, this research could deliver essential insights into reproductive technology and may one day alter the landscape of fertility treatments and family planning for many individuals.