World's first Pig-Monkey chimera created in China

A team of researchers from China has created the world’s first Pig-Monkey chimera. The scientists created the chimera by injecting monkey stem cells into the egg of a pig. The embryo was grown in vitro and later transferred to a surrogate mother. Two piglets were delivered 16 weeks later.

Detail reports:

Chimera is a single organism that has DNA from two separate species or individuals. Here the chimeric organism is created from a pig and a monkey. In this research, they first collected the egg of a pig and was grown in the lab for 5 days for activation. They then inject embryonic stem cells (ESCs) of a monkey to the egg and were grown for another 48 hours. The embryos were then transferred to a recipient surrogate mother. Two piglets were delivered 16 weeks later. However, the two piglets survive for just 28 days due to which it was not possible to observe whether the chimera can develop into mature functional cells.

This is not the first time intergenic chimerism has been studied. In the past, there has been extensive research on chimerism using Rodents models. Japanese scientists had successfully generated an entire rat pancreas inside a mouse. The thymus of a rat has been grown in a mouse as well. However, human chimerism is more complex. The process of development is more complex as compared to rats and other lower animals. Added to that, there is a huge ethical issue in using human-animal chimera.

Future perspective:

The ultimate goal is the generation of human-animal chimera. A human organ can be grown in another animal. Organs like the liver, pancreas or heart can be grown in a pig. This will substantially decrease the heavy demand for organ transplantation. This research will lay the foundation for the future if we are to realize the dream of growing organ in animals.

Reference:

1. Domesticated cynomolgus monkey embryonic stem cells allow the generation of neonatal interspecies chimeric pigs. Protein & Cell (2019)

Our top Stories

American Diabetes Association says prediabetes treatment works.

Prediabetes is a condition in which a person has high blood sugar, but not enough to be called Diabetic. This condition is considered a warning sign for the people. The person has a high chance of developing type 2 diabetes if he continues the same lifestyle without any medication. But it is not too late, it's possible to bring a blood sugar level back to normal. Lifestyle changes, weight loss, and medication are believed to help to bring the blood sugar level back to normal. However, its effective has always been controversial. According to American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) Professional Practice Committee, they say it has been shown that healthy eating and regular physical activity have been shown (along with the medication metformin for select patients) to delay or prevent progression to diabetes. Reference: Evidence supports prediabetes treatment. Science 26 Apr 2019: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax3548

Scientists found two anti-viral drugs which kills novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV).

The recent outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan has infected thousands of people, especially in China. As of till now 30,00 confirmed cases have been reported in mainland China. Additionally, imported cases of coronavirus were identified in many other countries including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, United States, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, India, France, Australia, and Canada. The cause of the outbreak has been named novel coronavirus (2019- nCoV ). This virus belongs to the same family as SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) which cause epidemic and killed many in the early 2000s. The virus is spreading everywhere infecting thousands of innocent people. But there is no drug available for treatment. Scientists around the globe are working their best to develop a drug for the treatment of infected patients. The quickest solution is to check whether we can treat patients using the drugs that are currently available for treating other viral infecti

RNA editing, CRISPR-Cas 13 provides herd immunity against dsDNA phage.

CRISPR-cas13: the only RNA editing CRISPR till date. CRISPR RNA targeting CRISPR-cas13 provides immunity against dsDNA phage without cutting the genome, unlike the other 5 types which work by cutting the genome. CRISPR-Cas13 works differently. It provides herd immunity to the bacteria. CRISPR-Cas13 There are six types of CRISPR in literature till now (1-6). CRISPR Cas VI is the only one that cuts the RNA. It cuts the RNA transcript complementary to the target sequence of the mRNA . After cutting the complementary RNA, it starts cutting all other mRNAs of the phage which Scientists called Collateral damage. This is the phenomena that provide Herd immunity. 3D structure of CRIPSR-Cas References: Cas13 Helps Bacteria Play Dead when the Enemy Strikes. Cell Host and Microbe . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2019.06.012 Follow and like Layman's Biology Facebook page for more news

CRISPR can now be used as a drug delivery molecule.

Drugs (or any molecules) could be delivered to the target site and released under the control of CRISPR 12a. CRISPR Cas12a James Collins, MIT, Cambridge used CRISPR to deliver drug molecules . They used water-filled polymers that are held together by strands of DNA, known as DNA hydrogels. To alter the properties of these materials, Collins's team used a form of CRISPR called Cas12a. (The gene-editor CRISPR–Cas9 uses the Cas9 enzyme to snip a DNA sequence at the desired point.) The Cas12a enzyme can be programmed to recognize a specific DNA sequence. The enzyme cuts its target DNA strand, then severs single strands of DNA nearby. This property allowed the researchers to build a series of CRISPR-controlled hydrogels containing a target DNA sequence and single strands of DNA, which breaks up after Cas12a recognizes the target sequence in a stimulus. The break-up of the single DNA strands triggers the hydrogels to change shape or, in some cases , completely d

Science Stories

Search This Blog