The Cosmos Online has reported that there could be hope for the endangered snow leopard in the form of stem cell therapy. For the first time embryonic stem-like cells have been harvested from the tissue of an adult snow leopard as part of a study in Melbourne. Researchers say the cells could save the endangered species from extinction.
Snow Leopard numbers are decreasing
Researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria used snow leopard tissue samples to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. An iPS cell is a type of cell that shares many of the useful characteristics of embryonic stem cells. Using the tissue of a cat species is unprecedented and the research team hopes it will allow for the cryopreservation, or banking, of genetic material for cloning and other reproduction techniques that may be carried out in the future.
“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 offspring. This would help save species from extinction,” said Paul Verma from the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR), who was supervisor on the PhD project.
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large cat species that inhabits the mountain ranges of Central Asia. They live about 3,000 to 5,500 m above sea level and have a shy nature, which makes accurate population counts difficult, but it is estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards live in the wild, and these numbers are decreasing.
Angeles Health is Mexico’s largest private hospital network and we are at the forefront of the latest stem cell research. Our stem cell therapy team is currently conducting several patient funded clinical trials, to learn more please contact us using the form on the right.
