The fertility level of modern humans is decreasing due to factors such as pollution, diet and marrying at a later age compared to our ancestors. The problem of having children has become common and various techniques have been developed by the medical world. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have reported the success of producing human eggs modified from skin cells.
OHSU's success was previously considered impossible because previously sperm and eggs could only be produced using stem cells. Through the "mitomeiosis" technique, which combines the processes of meiosis and mitosis, human somatic cells can be transformed into reproductive cells.
The nucleus of a skin cell is transferred into a donated human egg but with the nucleus removed. The result is a haploid human egg that can then be fertilized with sperm for reproductive purposes. So far, the production of human embryos has not been successful with a success rate of only around 9% before the division process to the next stage stops.
Researchers hope that through more comprehensive studies, techniques can be developed to allow women who are infertile or cannot produce their own eggs due to cancer treatment to give birth to their own children.