We hear it in the news every day: this species is endangered, and this one and this one. The list endangered and extinct animals is getting longer and longer by the day. If modern society continues as it does, a somber future with little biological diversity will lie ahead. It’s already said a sixth mass extinction event is taking place with a dozen of animal and plant species lost daily. Therefore, it’s high time we take action and this is what scientists are trying to do with the development of the iPSC technology.
Scientists have developed a technology by reverting specialized cells from an adult organism into an embryonic like state. These cells are termed induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSC. The special thing about these cells is that they can differentiate into multiple different cell types, which includes egg cells and sperm cells, the gametes of an animal. So far iPSC cell lines have been manufactured from a range of species including birds, primates and large cats. The technology has already booked some success in an experiment by using iPSCs from piglets to create new, viable offspring. More recently embryonic stem cells, ESCs, and embryos have been created from the endangered northern white rhinoceros by using the iPSC technology. These embryos can be used to implant in a female rhinoceros and preserving the species through assisted reproductive technologies.
At the moment there is also an interest to revive extinct species such as the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger, the passenger pigeon and the mammoth by using the iPSC technology. Combined with genetic engineering with similar subspecies, there’s potential for resurrection of the extinct species. Imagine those species walking on the earth again! It’s almost like science fiction and reality become one. Despite this all sounds very promising, it’s hard to predict what the influence on wildlife will be once these species are reintroduced. For example, reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National park positively affected the population growth of other endangered species like the beaver, but this positive influence can’t be guaranteed in every situation.
Lastly, one is very interested in developing animal based product in the lab such as leather, ivory and meat without having to kill or harm a living animal. This would also mean a cut-back in crimes like poaching and helps indirectly protecting animals from extinction. All in all, the iPSC technology only promises good so far.
sources:
https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sctm.18-0047
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