Scientists are “getting closer” to creating human embryos using the DNA of two men and no women.
The research is being conducted by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
The process of what they are calling “in vitro gametogenesis (IVG)” involves creating a fake egg using skin cells and fertilizing it with sperm.
“Researchers at OHSU documented the technique, known as in vitro gametogenesis, or IVG, in a mouse model through preliminary steps that rely upon transferring the nucleus of a skin cell into a donated egg in which the nucleus has been removed,” OHSU News reports. “Using mice, the investigators coaxed the skin cell’s nucleus into reducing its chromosomes by half, so that it could then be fertilized by a sperm cell to create a viable embryo.”
The researchers claim, “The technique could be used by women of advanced maternal age or those who are unable to produce viable eggs due to previous treatment for cancer or other causes. It also raises the possibility of men in same-sex relationships having children who are genetically related to both parents.”
The technique used is similar to what was done in 1996 to clone Dolly the sheep.
“This gives us a lot of insight,” said Paula Amato, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at OHSU School of Medicine. “But there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to understand how these chromosomes pair and how they faithfully divide to actually reproduce what happens in nature.”