The Sumatran rhino is critically endangered, with less than 80 left on earth. Habitat loss and limited breeding possibilities are the greatest threats to the species and lead to a continuous population decline.
Scientists at the Max‐Delbrück‐Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin, Germany, have generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from genetic material of the last male Malaysian Sumatran rhino, who died in 2019, potentially providing new ways to help conservation efforts
iPSCs give rise to each cell within the body, including gametes, and provide a unique modality to preserve genetic material across time. Additionally, they enable studying species-specific developmental processes.
Publishing their research in iScience, senior author Dr Sebastian Diecke, from the MDC, said: 'We were excited to observe the formation of mini brains from Sumatran rhino stem cells in a seemingly comparable fashion as described for human organoids.'
The scientists have shown that differentiation in cells of the three germ layers and brain organoids demonstrate their high quality and great potential for supporting the rescue of this critically endangered species. They hope to be able to produce viable sperm for breeding purposes.
'We [have] created an opportunity to produce viable spermatozoa for breeding purposes in the future,' said Dr Vera Zywitza, first author of the study, from the MDC, 'As the quality of semen collected from Sumatran rhinos is poor directly after retrieval and even worse after cryopreservation and thawing, in vitro-generated spermatozoa offer a great alternative for assisted breeding of Sumatran rhinos in general.'
