Can skin cells really become human eggs? The big fertility breakthrough explained A new study in Nature Communications shows how scientists reprogrammed human skin cells into egg-like cells, marking a fertility breakthrough. New Delhi:In a development that reads like science fiction, researchers have successfully turned human skin cells into functioning eggs. The process, called in vitro gametogenesis, involves stripping the skin cells of their identity and guiding them to take on the role of eggs. For cancer survivors: those who were left infertile due to chemotherapy may be able to produce eggs from their own skin cells.