In mammals, germ cells become segregated from non-germ cells (called somatic cells) during embryonic development and migrate to the gonads, where they form sperm or eggs.

In this researchs, stem cell researcher Julang Li and colleagues have demonstrated that post embryonic somatic stem cells can also differentiate into egg like cells in vitro.

It has yet to be proven if these eggs could be fertilized to form viable embryos. Li stataed however, that the ability to generate egg-like cells from cells derived from the skin provides new possibilities for tissue therapy and reproductive engineering.

Find more at the University of Guelph