Stem cells from rhino skin

Northern White Rhinoceros; Photo credit: San Diego Zoo

What are those rhinos doing in a stem cell blog? Researchers at Scripps Research Institute have converted skin cells from those rhinos (or their San Diego zoo-mates) into reprogrammed stem cells. The team also created stem cells out of skin samples from a primate called a drill.

Both projects came out of conversation between Oliver Ryder, the director of genetics at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, and Jeanne Loring, professor of developmental neurobiology at Scripps Research and CIRM grantee. Ryder’s team had already established the Frozen Zoo, a bank of skin cells and other materials from more than 800 species and wondered if the thousands of samples they had amassed might be used as starting points.

The group, which includes an intern from the CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research program, published their work in the September 4, 2011 advanced online edition of Nature Methods. According to a Scripps press release, the work has the potential of preserving and even strengthening populations of endangered animals.

One of the greatest concerns with small populations such as the northern white rhinos is that even if they did reproduce, which hasn’t happened in many years, their genetic diversity is inevitably and dangerously low, and such inbreeding leads to unhealthy animals.

But researchers are moving toward inducing stem cells to differentiate into sperm or egg cells. With that accomplished, one possibility is that scientists could take skin cells in the Frozen Zoo from long dead animals, induce pluripotency, trigger differentiation into sperm cells, and then combine these with a living animal’s eggs through in vitro fertilization. Otherwise-lost genetic diversity would then be reintroduced into the population, making it healthier, larger, and more robust.

Or, both eggs and sperm might be produced from the stem cells, with the resulting embryos implanted in live animals, a process that current research suggests could be much more reliable than existing cloning techniques.

Scientists are already exploring the possibility of producing sperm and eggs from stem cells as a potential solution to human infertility issues. Loring hopes that some of these groups might consider initial technique development using endangered species stem cells. “I think that work would be a lot easier ethically with endangered species than with humans,” she said, “so I suspect some people working in this area would love to have our cells for experiments.”

The press release goes on to quote Ryder:

“The best way to manage extinctions is to preserve species and their habitats, but that’s not working all the time.” The rhinos are a perfect example, he said, because there are so few. “Stem cell technology provides some level of hope that they won’t have to become extinct even though they’ve been completely eliminated from their habitats. I think that if humankind wants to save this species, we’re going to have to develop new methodologies.”

CIRM funding: Susanne Montague (TB1-01186)

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CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research students talk science in our new video

On July 8, 2011 the CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research trainees met in Burlingame, CA to share results from their research internships. Their enthusiasm for stem cell science made for a fun poster session where the students had a chance to share their internship research with other students, with CIRM staff and board members, and with California stem cell scientists who attended.

This video gives an overview of what these students have been up to:



First established in 2009, the Bridges programs fund students at community colleges and California State schools to take stem cell classes and do internship projects in established stem cell research labs in industry or at University of California and other major university campuses. (This map shows the Bridges to Stem Cell Research programs in purple.) Given the expense of working with stem cells, students at these schools would likely never have had a chance to participate in this cutting edge research. And without that experience, these students would likely be shut out of careers in California's growing stem cell industry. 

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CIRM Bridges to stem cell research students talk science and careers

Today CIRM's Bridges to Stem Cell Research students are meeting and greeting some of the state's most notable stem cell scientists at their annual meeting in Burlingame, CA. For many of these undergraduate and masters-level students, it's a opportunity they would never have had without CIRM's Bridges internship program.

First established in 2009, the Bridges programs fund students at community colleges and California State schools to take stem cell classes and do internship projects in established stem cell research labs in industry or at University of California and other major university campuses. (This map shows the Bridges to Stem Cell Research programs in purple.) Given the expense of working with stem cells, students at these schools would likely never have had a chance to participate in this cutting edge research. And without that experience, these students would likely be shut out of careers in California's growing stem cell industry.

Most of CIRM's funding goes to people who either already have their M.D.s, Ph.D.s, or are well on their way down that path. What's exciting to me about the Bridges program is that it reaches beyond the pool of people who would already have had careers in science — though perhaps not in stem cell science. The Bridges students I met while filming a video about the program were the first people in their families to go to college, or the first to even consider academic careers.

Here's that video:


What we hear back from the directors of the programs is that many students are going on to get higher degrees, and others are being hired by the labs where they did internships. Given the competition for those jobs, that's quite a compliment to the quality of the students.

We'll be taking photos and shooting more footage for another video about the Bridges program today. Stay tuned for that video, and for more information about the work these students are doing. If there's any specific information you want about the program or those students ask it here and we'll get answers today at the meeting.

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Funding students, fueling stem cell science

California State University Long Beach has a nice story today about their students funded by our Bridges to Stem Cell Research program. Mostly, CIRM funds science. But in order for that science to move forward we also need to make sure the state has enough trained stem cell scientists. What's the point of fostering new labs and biotech companies without people who know how to handle the notoriously tricky cells?

Thus the Bridges program. We first funded the undergraduate and masters programs back in January 2009 (here's our press release about the funding). Each of the 16 funded schools supports a handful of students who take classes and participate in research with collaborating institutions. As the first round of students complete their programs we're hearing back that the students are being hired in large numbers by the labs where they did their internships.

One of the students in the CSULB story, Colleen Worne, had this to say about her internship:

“The CIRM program will equip me with the skills and techniques necessary to succeed under such challenging conditions and achieve my career goals,” she continued. “From a young age I have pursued my passion for biology and research, knowing that helping society in a scientific capacity was, and is, my goal. CSULB has provided me with the scientific background for acceptance into the CIRM program. I am beyond excited to start my lifetime pursuit made possible by such an amazing program.”

We produced a video about Bridges students and California State University San Francisco last year. It's fun to see how excited the students are about pursuing stem cell science.



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