A group of researchers has shown how to use a process known as mitomeiosis to transform regular human body cells into egg-like cells. The technique, which was published in Nature Communications, rewires somatic nuclei within the cytoplasm of eggs to resemble meiosis, thereby reducing the number of chromosomes by half. After fertilization, some of these modified eggs even matured into early embryos.
This proof-of-concept paves the way for future infertility treatments and advancements in reproductive medicine, despite its low efficiency and the persistence of chromosome segregation errors. The study represents a daring step toward lab-grown human gametes, though clinical use is still a ways off.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63454-7
MBH/AB