Using Stem Cells to Study and Preserve Biodiversity in Endangered Big Cats

A quarter of animal species in the world are in fear of extinction. The advent of induced pluripotency has opened alternate avenues to produce embryonic stem-like cells from somatic cells and provide a unique tool to elucidate both pluripotency and lineage assignment. To consider whether this technology could be applied to endangered species, where the limited availability of gametes makes production and research on embryonic stem cells difficult, we have investigated the use of reprogramming transcription factors for use in induction of pluripotency in wild cats.