Cloning and Conservation

 

Cloning has been a very controversial topic in the genetic community for some time. Whether it's due to the animal not being fit for the time period or for it being ethically wrong, there have always been questions surrounding cloning. But some good can come from cloning, in this case it is bringing back a species that became extinct. A Colorado Facility cloned a black footed ferret and it was born on 12/10/2020. This ferret was known to become extinct in the 1980’s and the reason they were able to successfully clone one was since one of the ferrets were kept frozen after they died.

The purpose of cloning this ferret was to bring more genetic diversity to the ferret community. "Advanced reproductive technologies, including cloning, can save species by allowing us to restore genetic diversity that would have otherwise been lost to time,” says Ryan Phelan, executive director of Revive & Restore. This successful clone has caused conservations to second guess cloning. While this is a very expensive practice, it does work in bringing back endangered/extinct species. Some people feel that the best fit animals should remain on Earth and others think that extinct species should come back. I think the point of this argument is that cloning can save endangered species, but it would be at an extremely high cost.

How can cloning help conservationists save extinct species? | Living (euronews.com)

What is Cloning (utah.edu)

Innate immune system condemns weak cells to their death

Link to the Article

Molecular Biologist at the University of Zurich and Columbia University have demonstrated that the innate immune system plays a key role in this mechanism. Cancer cells however can also use this to cause cells that are important for healthy tissues to die. The scientists used a fruit fly model to show that during cell competition, programmed cell death is activated in the weaker cells. This cell death is caused by Spätzle, a signaling protein that docks onto toll related receptors. These toll receptors normally trigger a defensive reaction to bacterial or fungal reactions, but can also trigger apoptosis in weak cells. However, sometimes the stronger cell is not a healthy cell such as a tumor that can outcompete the weaker cells. Then healthy cells fall behind in fitness and undergo apoptosis.

This research is important for cancer researchers and can help contribute to early detection cancer. The innate immune system can help identify faster growing cells that are not yet malignant cells. This presents a new way to fight cancer at an earlier stage and help treat it before the patient is terminal.