Crucial to embryo production is the availability of oocytes (egg cells) and sperm. Embryos are destined to be carried to term by southern white rhino surrogate mothers. The scientists of the BioRescue consortium have already produced northern white rhino embryos by in vitro fertilisation of oocytes with sperm. Without a possibility for natural reproduction with only two females left of their kind, the only hope for the northern white rhinoceros lies in advanced assisted reproduction technologies.
Thirty-three-year-old Najin and her daughter Fatu are the last surviving northern white rhinos on the planet.
The scientists describe the culture systems and processes for the induction of the PGCLCs from stem cells in a newly published paper in the journal Science Advances. If successful, this would boost the availability and genetic diversity of embryos and become a cornerstone for saving the northern white rhinoceros. Now there is one last step to master for the production of artificial rhino gametes (eggs and sperm) from preserved tissue. This milestone was led by specialists from Osaka University, Japan, and has never been achieved in large mammals before. In its race to advance assisted reproduction and stem cell associated technologies to save the northern white rhinoceros from extinction, the BioRescue consortium announces a major breakthrough: the creation of primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLSs) from induced pluripotent stem cells of the northern white rhino Nabire. Image: Northern White Rhino Nabire, from which the primordial germ cells have been produced, at Safari Park Dvur Kralove view more
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