Stem cells save the Northern white rhino from extinction

Wildlife conservationists are making a lot of efforts to save the Northern white rhino, as there are only 3 left of this species in the world.

The Northern White Rhino is in danger of extinction - (Photo: LiveScience).

In a recent meeting in Vienna (Austria), scientists around the world have created a plan to use northern rhino stem cells to create embryos, and implant embryos into rhino mothers. Southern white thanks to household pregnancy.

Scientists collected egg and sperm cells from three northern white rhinos, and combined them with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) . The hope of scientists is that they can produce complete eggs and sperm from this combination. Later fertilized embryos may be in vitro fertilization, and inoculated into the body of the southern white rhino - the closest relative to the Northern white rhino.

However, San Diego Zoo's director of reproductive physiology said the plan also had major challenges. The biggest challenge is that there has never been a successful case in vitro fertilization of a rhino embryo.

If successful, this will be a landmark step in the medical - biological industry.