Human eggs successfully grown in the lab

Scientists have succeeded for the first time ingrowing human eggs in a laboratory from the earliest stages in ovarian tissue all the way to full maturity a scientific steppreviously involving mice.

Publishing their result in the journal Molecular HumanReproduction on Friday, scientists from Britain and the UnitedStates said it could one day help in developing regenerativemedicine therapies and new infertility treatments.

In previous studies, scientists developed mouse eggs ina laboratory to the stage where they produced live offspring,and had also matured human eggs from a relatively late stage ofdevelopment.

Being able to fully develop human eggs in the lab couldwiden the scope of available fertility treatments.- Evelyn Telfer, University of Edinburgh

This latest work, by scientists at two research hospitals inEdinburgh and the Center for Human Reproduction in New York, isthe first time human eggs have been developed outside the humanbody from their earliest stage to full maturity.

"Being able to fully develop human eggs in the lab couldwiden the scope of available fertility treatments. We are nowworking on optimizing the conditions that support eggdevelopment in this way and studying how healthy they are," saidEvelyn Telfer, who co-led the work.

Safety tests needed

Independent experts not directly involved in this workpraised it as important, but also cautioned there is muchmore to do before lab-grown human eggs could be safely be madeready for fertilization with sperm.

"This early data suggests this may well be feasible in thefuture," said Ali Abbara, a senior clinical lecturer inEndocrinology at Imperial College London.

"The technology remains at an early stage, and muchmore work is needed to make sure that the technique is safe andoptimized before we ascertain whether these eggs remain normalduring the process, and can be fertilised to form embryos thatcould lead to healthy babies."

Darren Griffin, a genetics professor at Kent University inthe U.K., said the work was "an impressive technical achievement."

If success and safety rates were improved, he said, it could one day:

• Help cancer patients wishing to preserve theirfertility while undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
• Improvefertility treatments.
• Deepen scientific understanding of thebiology of the earliest stages of human life.