In a development that looks like the beginning of a dystopian Black Mirror episode, biotech scientists are now just a step away from creating and growing human babies completely in laboratory conditions. This essentially means that scientists are very close to “giving birth” to human kids without a human sperm or even an ovum.
For years, we have heard scientists say that in the future, women won’t need male sperm to have children anymore. Using the same technology, scientists have now developed a method that allows them to make the human ovum. What they do is they take adult somatic cells or cells other than the sperm or ovum germ cells, create new germ cells using the somatic cells, and then follow the usual steps that constitute IVFs.
The next evolution in making human babies
This new method is called IVG, or In-Vitro Gametogenesis.
A California startup is undertaking a groundbreaking endeavor to transform the fertility market using innovative technology. Conception, a biotech company, strives to revolutionize the field by developing a novel process called in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), which entails creating human eggs and sperm in a laboratory using cells from any part of an individual’s body.
If successful, this advancement could have profound implications for individuals and couples facing infertility and same-sex and transgender couples. It would enable them to have children who are genetically related to them, offering the possibility of having their biological offspring.
By pushing the boundaries of reproductive science, Conception’s IVG technology has the potential to bring about a paradigm shift in assisted reproductive technologies, providing new hope and possibilities for individuals and couples seeking to build their families.
A major paradigm shift in the family unit
According to Conception’s co-founder, Matt Krisiloff, the team’s objective is to transform induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a type of human stem cell, into human eggs.
These iPSCs can be derived from a single cell from an individual’s skin or blood sample. The remarkable feature of iPSCs is their potential to differentiate into any cell type in the body, including both egg and sperm cells.
The implications of this technology are significant. It could enable women to have genetically related children even if they have lost their eggs due to factors such as cancer treatment, an inability to produce healthy eggs, or age-related decline that renders their eggs nonviable.
Additionally, this breakthrough would be particularly transformative for same-sex and transgender couples, who typically face challenges in having their biological children.
While the technology has already been employed successfully in creating a mouse with two biological fathers, human studies are still a few years away. Although promising, further research and development are required to ensure safety, efficacy, and regulatory approval before its application in human fertility treatments can be realized.
Accusations of designer babies
Critics have expressed concerns about the potential implications of this technology, particularly the possibility of “designer babies” where parents could select specific physical appearances and traits for their children. This ethical consideration raises questions about the boundaries and implications of genetic manipulation.
The timeline for regulatory approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and widespread use of this technology remains uncertain. However, scientists involved in the research are optimistic about the progress and believe it is advancing in the right direction.
Matt Krisiloff, one of the co-founders, sees this technology’s potential benefits in expanding family-building options for a broader range of people. He expresses excitement about enabling individuals and couples, including himself and his partner Pablo, to have families and children to have fulfilling lives. He views this as a positive and meaningful development in reproductive science.
While the ethical concerns surrounding the technology should be carefully addressed, Krisiloff sees the ability to offer more people the opportunity to have families as a positive and significant outcome.
