Stem cell research: Mammoths soon to rise from the dead?

Are you a fan of the Jurassic Park film series or its remake Jurassic World? Then you might like the latest project from Colossal. The company is currently working on the resurrection of the mammoth. A breakthrough has now been achieved in this somewhat unusual project.

Will the mammoth soon be alive again?

Stem cell research is an ethically controversial field. Nevertheless, extremely exciting research results can be achieved in this field. Colossal is currently working at full speed to remove the mammoth from the list of extinct animals. According to the scientists, they are using skin cells from elephants. They have now been able to transfer these into a kind of embryo state. With the modified cells, Colossal can now at least create an animal that resembles a mammoth. The company is keen to emphasize that it is not working on an exact clone of a mammoth.

Instead, the aim is to create an animal whose basic features are reminiscent of the hairy giant elephant from prehistoric times. According to an article in Nature, Asian elephants are being used as cell donors. The reason for this is obvious. After all, they are said to be genetically most similar to mammoths. To ensure that the end result is also visually reminiscent of a mammoth, work is currently underway to incorporate the typical characteristics into the animal’s genetics. For example, the mammoth 2.0 will have equally long fur and a thick layer of fat.

Birth with an artificial womb

Once the company has created the first elephant embryos, the next important question naturally arises. How will they be carried to term? According to Colossal, they want to use an artificial womb for this. This should please animal rights activists in particular. After all, Asian elephants are considered an extremely endangered species. However, it will be some time before we see the first living results. Until then, Colossal’s main task will be to obtain financial support for the project.