![]() “To the best of our knowledge, mini-brains like these have only been obtained from mouse, human, and non-human primates so far,” says Frahm-Barske. ![]() Silke Frahm-Barske, who is also a scientist in Diecke’s research group, grew brain organoids from the cells. In addition to preserving the species, the stem cells obtained from Kertam’s skin could serve another purpose: “iPS cells from exotic animals provide a unique tool to gain insights into the evolution of organ development,” says Zywitza. Nevertheless, there were species-specific differences: “In contrast to northern white rhino iPS cells, Kertam’s iPSCs could not be cultivated without feeder cells, which release growth factors that help to keep stem cells in a pluripotent state,” explains Zywitza. Under the microscope, the stem cells of both rhino species were barely distinguishable from human iPS cells. Zywitza recounts how all those involved in the current study were surprised and pleased to discover that the methods used to turn the skin cells of northern white rhinos into stem cells also worked well with the cells of Sumatran rhinos. Professor Thomas Hildebrandt, head of the Reproduction Management Department at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin, and his research group were also significantly involved in the project. “Our current study has benefited a lot from the knowledge gained through this large-scale project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research,” says Zywitza. The technology platform developed its stem cell technologies as part of the BioRescue research project for the even more critically endangered northern white rhinoceros – of which only two females now remain, living in a Kenyan wildlife reserve. For their recently published study, the group has already grown brain organoids, also called “mini-brains,” from Kertam’s iPS cells. First, they are able to divide infinitely and therefore never die and second, they are able to transform into any cell type in the body. In the scientific journal iScience, the team led by first author Zywitza and last author Diecke has now reported an initial success: they have generated induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells for short, from Kertam’s skin samples. Credit: Silke Frahm-Barske, Max Delbrück Center Fully developed neurons are colored green. In this microscopic cross-sectional image, progenitor cells of neurons can be seen in red. Pictured here is a one-month-old brain organoid of a rhinoceros. The embryos bred in the petri dish, which will be the offspring of Kertam and other already deceased or infertile individuals, will be carried to term by surrogate rhino mothers. They and their international partners have an ambitious goal: to turn skin cells taken from now-deceased Sumatran rhinos into stem cells, from which they can then derive egg and sperm cells to be used in assisted reproduction – in this case, fertilization in the laboratory. Sebastian Diecke, head of the Pluripotent Stem Cells Platform at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, are not content with this. But a team of Berlin scientists led by Dr. ![]() The Sumatran rhinoceros, which is the only surviving rhino species with hair, has been considered extinct in Malaysia since 2019 following the death of male Kertam and, just a few months later, female Iman. The rarity of these remaining individuals makes mating encounters increasingly scarce, contributing to the species’ endangered status. However, poaching and habitat destruction have severely reduced the population, with only a few dozen individuals remaining in the rainforests of Sumatra and the Indonesian portion of Borneo. The Sumatran rhinoceros, the world’s smallest and most ancient rhino species, was once widely distributed throughout East and Southeast Asia. The team’s goal is to use these cells to create sperm cells for reproductive efforts. In an effort to save the endangered Sumatran rhino species from extinction, a team from the Max Delbrück Center has successfully grown stem cells and mini-brains from the skin cells of Kertam, the last male Sumatran rhino in Malaysia who died in 2019. Sumatran rhino Kertam on the island of Borneo.
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