The first early human eggs from stem cells

Company News • June 2026 Company News • June 2026 The first early human eggs from stem cells The first early human eggs from stem cells Summary Conception’s mission is to turn stem cells into human eggs and redefine fertility.  We want to share an exciting update that we have generated the first early human egg cells (‘primary oocytes’) derived from stem cells. After performing a simple blood draw, we converted blood cells into stem cells, and then coaxed those stem cells into becoming miniature human ovaries that contain the early eggs. While there is still work ahead to grow these eggs to full maturity, we think this is a major scientific advance. Figure 1 – Human follicles, the base units of the ovary. Contains an early-egg cell surrounded . Summary Conception’s mission is to turn stem cells into human eggs and redefine fertility.  We want to share an exciting update that we have generated the first early human egg cells (‘primary oocytes’) derived from stem cells. After performing a simple blood draw, we converted blood cells into stem cells, and then coaxed those stem cells into becoming miniature human ovaries that contain the early eggs. While there is still work ahead to grow these eggs to full maturity, we think this is a major scientific advance. Figure 1 – Human follicles, the base units of the ovary. Contains an early-egg cell surrounded . Why this matters Making viable eggs from stem cells has already been accomplished in mice. In 2016, our collaborator Katsuhiko Hayashi demonstrated that mouse skin cells can be turned into ‘induced pluripotent stem cells’ (iPSCs, which are engineered cells capable of becoming any kind of cell in the body) and then turned into usable eggs. These eggs produced healthy pups that lived normal lifespans and reproduced naturally, having healthy pups of their own. Figure 2 – Adult mice from eggs derived from pluripotent stem cells (Hikabe et al., 2016) This process, known as "in vitro gametogenesis” (IVG), has been far easier to achieve in mice than in larger animals. Still, given how dramatically impactful this technology could be, it is well worth pursuing for human application. IVG has the potential to redefine reproduction worldwide. From a simple blood draw, one could make as many healthy eggs as a family needs.  This capability could create freedom from biological and genetic limits. It could dramatically expand families’ options for having healthy children and enable women to have children at a much older age– all without the hormone injections or surgical retrieval currently required for IVF.