We engineered stem cells to make human eggs, tech firm says

One company believes biology should not limit who should be able to conceive children.

That same company says it has now made strides to turn that belief into a reality.

‘Yeah, I’m gay, and it’s something that got me so personally interested.’

Fertility company Conception announced last week that it accomplished what was, until recently, only possible with mice: creating early human egg cells.

“Biology limits who can have children and when,” Conception says on its website. “Egg supply declines and medical barriers can limit fertility entirely, as birthrates fall across the globe.”

To counteract this, Conception says, it has finally “generated the first early human eggs derived from stem cells.”

CEO Matt Krisiloff said that after a simple blood draw, his company converted blood cells into stem cells, and from there, “coaxed” those stem cells into becoming “miniature human ovaries containing the early eggs.”

Krisiloff has not hidden his intentions; in fact, he made them crystal clear during a 2023 interview with NPR. Inside the company profile, Krisiloff expressed that he is personally invested in being able to create babies for gay couples.

“My personal biggest interest in it is that it could allow same-sex couples to be able to have biological children together as well,” the CEO said. “Yeah, I’m gay, and it’s something that got me so personally interested in this in the first place.”

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Seoul National University/Getty Images

Conception calls its technology “in-vitro gametogenesis” and claims it is a “profound advance” in reproductive technology.

The recent announcement discusses the process, which comes from successful trials of making viable eggs from stem cells in mice back in 2016. Conception’s collaborative scientist, Katsuhiko Hayashi, reportedly demonstrated that skin cells in mice can be turned into stems cells capable of becoming any type of cell in the body, which in turn were used to create usable eggs.

“These eggs produced healthy [mouse] pups that lived normal lifespans and reproduced naturally, having healthy pups of their own,” Conception wrote.

While the process has been far easier to achieve in mice than in larger animals, the company said, the technology is still “worth pursuing” in humans.

No public information is available on what other animals Conception has tested on.

The company’s financial backing is available, though, and this includes investments from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Skype founder Jaan Tallinn, and Recursion Pharmaceuticals co-founder Blake Borgeson, who all contributed to a $20 million round in previous years.

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Conception’s co-founders, Pablo Hurtado Gonzalez and Bianka Seres, also shared their views on the project. Hurtado Gonzalez said, “There is something intrinsic, sharing a life that is half me and half my husband.”

“I don’t have the capacity right now, and I am devoting my life to try to change that,” Hurtado Gonzalez added.

Seres also said the project is likely to be a “pretty big” deal around the world.

“And for individuals, I think it’s going to be life-changing,” she contributed.

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