What happened to the discovery that gave clues about how the woolly mammoth was “resurrected”?

The news that a group of scholars is looking for Woolly mammoth hybrids Walking into the Arctic after the species disappeared about 4,000 years ago, it has resonated in 2021 after Harvard geneticist George Church co-founded it with businessman Ben Lamm. Phenomenal biological science.

The main question raised by the announcement of this futuristic project was: Are woolly mammoths? It will rebound almost?. Recently published findings could have the answer, as they represent a major advance in efforts to bring this species back to life.

The scientists conducting the research hope that by achieving one of the first main objectives of the project “De-extinction“For mammoths, it allows them to revive hybrids that were conceived inside the womb of a surrogate mother of an Asian elephant, their closest living relative.

One of the latest scientific developments was announced at the beginning of March this year by Phenomenal biological scienceWhich considers itself the first company in the world in the field of combating extinction, through a press release in which it confirmed that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were successfully obtained from… Asian elephants (Maximus the elephant), the closest living relative of mammoths.

iPSC cell, according to California Institute for Regenerative Medicine CIRM is a basic unit extracted from any tissue that has been genetically modified to behave like a stem cell.

This discovery will help scientists explore the largest number of adaptations that distinguish woolly mammoths from Asian elephants.

Scientists stressed that progress in elephant cells extends “beyond” the extinction project, and they will be able to test genetic modifications without extracting tissue from living animals.

“These cells certainly represent a huge benefit to our extinction efforts,” said Ireona Hesoli, head of the Department of Biological Sciences and leader of the research team. Phenomenal biological science in the middle Live sciences.

More importantly, these advances could unveil the cellular and genetic processes behind characteristics such as their luxurious fur, insulating layer of blubber, curved tusks, and dome-shaped skull, which allowed woolly mammoths to survive in the Arctic.

According to George Church, co-founder of Colossal Bioscience and a renowned Harvard geneticist, elephants could win the award for the “hardest animal to reprogram.”

Hesoli stated that to achieve this progress, scientists had to suppress genes called TP53 that regulate cell growth and prevent them from multiplying indefinitely.

“We had to suppress this pathway through two means to get these iPSCs, so we had to go through a multi-step process to get them,” Hesoli said.

This discovery may mean a breakthrough in the early development of elephants, according to the news agency European pressIt is considered the biggest obstacle to the “extinction” of the woolly mammoth, because if they could create an embryo of this prehistoric creature combined with elephant cells, they would have to implant the embryo into a surrogate mother who would carry the mammoth. Hurry for 22 months..

“The gestation period of an elephant is very long and complex, so it is very important to really understand the evolutionary biology of the elephant,” Hesoli said.

As difficult as it may seem, the scientist pointed out that designing a mammoth fetus is not a “big challenge.” On the other hand, giving birth to a healthy calf will take more time and dedication.

In the meantime, the team will continue to investigate selective methods for generating elephant-specific iPSCs and maturing all of the ones they have developed.

Vincent Lynch, a developmental biologist and associate professor at the University at Buffalo in New York, is not involved in the project. Phenomenal biological science announced to Live sciences The company's goal is believed to be to convert induced pluripotent stem cells into sperm and eggs, which would allow scientists to artificially fertilize the surrogate mother and then perform “surrogacy.”

“These methods are very challenging and have not yet been developed, but it is just a matter of time,” Lynch said.