A team of researchers from the Monash Institute of Medical Research, Australia, has produced embryonic stem-like cells from the tissue of snow leopard.
It is the first time ever when induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were produced from a member of the felid family.
Snow leopard cubs (Dingopup / The Cat Survival Trust)
In the study, published in the journal Theriogenology, the team shows how the induced pluripotency approach can be used to generate iPS cells from somatic cells of the endangered snow leopard species (Panthera uncia).
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat and one of the most elusive creatures on Earth. Snow leopards live between 9,800 and 18,000 ft (3,000 and 5,500 m) above sea level in the rocky mountain ranges of Central and South Asia.
“The breakthrough was significant due to the difficulty of obtaining reproductive cells, or gametes, even from animals in captivity,” said Rajneesh Verma, lead author on the paper. “There is a lot of interest in cryopreservation of tissue from endangered species, but for this to be useful for conservation, both sperm and an egg are required.”
A snow leopard iPS cells teratoma (Rajneesh Verma et al)
“The power of stem cells is that they can differentiate into all the cell types in the body. This means, they have the potential to become gametes. In fact, mouse iPS cells have given rise to entire off-spring, so the possibilities are enormous,” explained Mr. Verma.
To produce iPS cells of a snow leopard, the researchers used ear tissue samples taken from adult animals. All samples were donated by Mogo Zoo, Australia.
“By generating these stem cells, we’ve taken the first step in creating reproductive cells from adult tissues of an endangered animal. In the future, we aim to harness the potential of the iPS cells and create off-spring. This would help save species from extinction,” concluded Mr. Verma.
