In a groundbreaking study, researchers have successfully created a living mouse from stem cells that were reprogrammed using genes older than the animals themselves. This discovery has significant implications for regenerative medicine and evolutionary biology.
Scientists replaced the Sox2 gene in mouse cells with an equivalent gene found in choanoflagellates, ancient unicellular organisms believed to be the closest living relatives of multicellular animals. The experiment involved swapping out the gene to demonstrate that pluripotency mechanisms existed before animals evolved.
The study was led by Ralf Jauch and Alex de Mendoza, who successfully reprogrammed mouse cells into stem cells using genes from choanoflagellates. However, introducing a different gene did not yield similar results, highlighting the need for further evolutionary adaptations.
This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize regenerative medicine by understanding how ancient genes regulate pluripotency. Researchers hope to unlock novel therapeutic strategies for diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders and aging by studying these genetic remnants from our evolutionary past.
The study’s findings suggest that evolution often repurposes ancient tools for new biological functions, rather than inventing entirely new mechanisms. By harnessing these ancient mechanisms, scientists may be able to solve modern biological challenges.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2024/12/living-mouse-created-from-genes-that-predate-animals-a-historic-stem-cell-discovery