--- description: Scientists have succeeded in using skin cells to create primitive forms of artificial sperm and eggs. title: Scientists Create Artificial Sperm and Eggs image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c179ec0c5a4961c/6987773f524fc03e3bdeba0e/460716011.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [fertility](/tag/fertility/) ## fertility Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Scientists Use Skin Cells to Create Artificial Sperm and Eggs by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 25, 2014 4:19 AM CUT  Egg and sperm, artwork Egg and sperm, artworkGetty Images by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 25, 2014 4:19 AM CUT British scientists from Cambridge have succeeded in using skin cells to create [primitive](http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/24/science-skin-cells-create-artificial-sperm-eggs "undefined") forms of artificial sperm and eggs. The feat could transform fertility treatment and our understanding of age-related diseases, the _Guardian_ reports. Scientists created the early sex cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days in controlled conditions. They then showed that by following the same procedure they could convert adult skin tissue into early-stage sperm and eggs, raising the likelihood of using sex cells that genetically match a patient undergoing IVF treatment. The scientists believe these cells have the potential could grow into mature sperm and eggs, something that has never been done in a lab before. \[[_The Guardian_\]](http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/24/science-skin-cells-create-artificial-sperm-eggs "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3647037/u-k-scientists-artificial-sperm-eggs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3647037/u-k-scientists-artificial-sperm-eggs/"},"headline":"Scientists Use Skin Cells to Create Artificial Sperm and Eggs","datePublished":"2014-12-25T04:19:42.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:07:44.420Z","description":"The feat could help patients with fertility problems","url":"https://time.com/3647037/u-k-scientists-artificial-sperm-eggs/","keywords":["fertility","eggs","sperm","diseases"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c179ec0c5a4961c/6987773f524fc03e3bdeba0e/460716011.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Helen Regan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/helen-regan/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c179ec0c5a4961c/6987773f524fc03e3bdeba0e/460716011.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"460716011","caption":"460716011","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/fertility/","name":"fertility"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3647037/u-k-scientists-artificial-sperm-eggs/","name":"Scientists Use Skin Cells to Create Artificial Sperm and Eggs"}}]}] ```