It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but medical advances mean that we could soon be able to create viable human eggs and sperm in the laboratory. In fact, it is such a realistic prospect that Progress Educational Trust held an open meeting to discuss the issues it raises.
There's something about the way we think of sperm and eggs that is very different to the way we might think about other human cells, and we're many ethical debates away from a world where lab-made gametes will be used routinely in fertility clinics. However, there are undoubtedly people who could be helped by these developments, such as women who have had an early menopause or same sex couples who would be be able to have their own genetic child,
Anyone who wants to know more about this may be interested in reading a summary of the Progress Educational Trust meeting held in Newcastle just a few weeks ago here
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