IVG has already been accomplished in mice; and it is Japanese scientists who are leading the way in this particular area.
In 2012, Japanese reproductive biologists reported taking skin cells down the pathway towards eggs, reprogramming them to embryonic-like stem cells, and then into primordial germ cells, which are early cells that emerge as an embryo develops, later giving rise to sperm or eggs.
The research by Japanese scientists surrounding IVG has now led to a crop of biotech startups wanting to transform human reproduction.
One of those companies is California-based Conception, and, in an audacious effort to take this research one step further, they are working on turning stem cells into human eggs in order to give women the opportunity to have children even as they get older, eliminate the barriers for couples suffering from infertility, and potentially allow same-sex male couples to have biological children. Additionally, it could also allow same-sex female couples to have babies with genes from both women, and provide transgender couples with the opportunity to have biologically related babies.
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Japanese scientist, Katsuhiko Hayashi – who was involved in creating the aforementioned lab-grown mice, and is a pioneer in the field – recently said that he believes humanity is only five years away from creating the first lab-grown babies.
