If the pluripotent stem cells can be turned into precursors to egg and sperm cells, the feat could potentially be a big deal for giant panda conservation.
With roughly 2,000 giant pandas remaining in the wild, scientists have spent the last several decades looking for new ways to help the iconic black-and-white bears. Having this type of stem cell, which can be nudged into becoming any kind of cell in the body, could help researchers breed more giant pandas .
Having pluripotent cells essentially on demand could allow scientists to create giant panda primordial germ cells, precursors to sperm and egg cells, aObtaining these panda sex cells has been difficult because the majority of the living panda population remains under strict protections that forbid typical egg extraction techniques, such as giving pandas medicine to make extra eggs in a cycle or retrieving eggs from ovaries.
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