London, Dec 26 : A new research has demonstrated that infertile couples who cannot produce their own sex cells may finally be able to have children through IVF after scientists achieved a key breakthrough in making sperm and eggs from skin cells.

Researchers have converted human skin cells in a laboratory into the "primordial germ cells" normally found within the testes and ovaries, which develop into mature sperm and eggs, the Independent reported.

Professor Azim Surani of the University of Cambridge said that the development could also lead to a better understanding of the "epigenetic" changes within human cells that contribute to ageing and cancer because of the insights it will give scientists about how adult human skin cells can be reprogrammed into sperm and eggs.

Surani continued that this was the first step in demonstrating that they could make primordial germ cells without putting them into patients to verify they were genuine.

The development could also lead to a better understanding of the "epigenetic" changes within human cells that contribute to ageing and cancer and the development could also lead to a better understanding of the "epigenetic" changes within human cells that contribute to ageing and cancer. (ANI)