Researchers have used skin cells to make primitive artificial sperm and eggs in a move that could transform fertility treatment.

Scientists in Cambridge made the sex cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days under carefully-controlled conditions.

They then showed that the same process can convert adults' skin tissue into early-stage sperm and eggs.

Scientists have made primitive artificial sperm and eggs which could transform fertility treatment. Pictured: A single sperm being injected directly into an egg during IVF (file picture)

The scientists believe that those cells could then grow into mature sperm and eggs.

The next step in the project will be to inject the primitive cells into mouse ovaries to see if they do fully develop.

If it works, it could mean skin cells could be turned into genetically-identical sex cells to be used in adults who are undergoing IVF therapy.

Azim Surani, who led the work at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, told the Guardian: 'It’s remarkably fast.

'We can now take any embryonic stem cell line and once we have them in the proper conditions, we can make these primordial cells in five to six days.'

The move could be a landmark development in the medical world. Researchers have previously made sperm and eggs from rodent stem cells but have struggled to achieve the same with human cells.

If the research does work, the current law for fertility treatment would need to be changed for the process to be used.

Currently, British fertility clinics are prevented from using artificial sperm and eggs to treat infertile couples.

The findings could mean skin cells could be used to make genetically-identical sex cells which could be used in IVF therapies

In 2012, Japanese scientists used stem cells to create mouse eggs, which were used to make baby mice.

Scientists at Newcastle University had also claimed to have made human sperm in the same way in 2009, but their paper was retracted amid allegations of plagiarism.

For this research, the scientists developed a culture process which turned about half of the cells into into precursors of eggs and sperm.

They then added natural chemicals called growth factors to development them further.