De-Extinction: Bio-firm Moves Closer to Mammoth Birth

The boundary between science fiction and biological reality is thinning. Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotechnology company, has announced a significant milestone in their ambitious project to bring the woolly mammoth back from extinction. By successfully deriving induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from Asian elephants, the scientific team has cleared a technical hurdle that had stalled de-extinction efforts for years.

The Stem Cell Breakthrough

The snippet you read refers to a specific achievement by the team at Colossal Biosciences. For the first time, researchers have successfully reprogrammed ordinary skin cells from Asian elephants into a stem-cell state. This is a critical step that allows these cells to differentiate into any other type of tissue in the body.

This accomplishment was notoriously difficult. In the past, attempts to create elephant stem cells failed because of the animal’s unique biology. Elephants possess a complex genetic trait designed to fight cancer. They have multiple copies of the TP53 gene, which produces a protein that ruthlessly eliminates cells that show signs of mutation or irregular growth. Unfortunately, the process of turning a skin cell into a stem cell mimics these irregularities, causing the elephant’s own biology to kill the cells before they could stabilize.

Dr. Eriona Hysolli, the Head of Biological Sciences at Colossal, led the team that figured out how to suppress this pathway temporarily. By dampening the TP53 gene just long enough, they allowed the cells to reprogram successfully without triggering the elephant’s natural self-destruct mechanism.

From Petri Dish to the Arctic

Understanding why this stem cell breakthrough matters requires looking at the roadmap for de-extinction. You cannot simply clone a mammoth because there are no living cells to clone from, only fragmented DNA found in frozen fossils.

Instead, Colossal is using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology. The process looks like this:

1. The Base: Scientists start with the Asian elephant, the mammoth’s closest living relative. They share approximately 99.6% of their DNA.
2. The Edits: Researchers identify specific genes responsible for mammoth traits. These include a thick layer of fat, shaggy hair, and smaller ears for heat retention.
3. The Testing Ground: This is where the new stem cells are vital. Scientists can now test these genetic edits in the lab on induced stem cells to see how they affect hair growth or fat production without needing to create an actual animal first.
4. Creation: Once the genome is perfected, the nucleus of a stem cell is inserted into an Asian elephant egg, which is then fertilized.

The ultimate goal is not to create an exact genetic copy of a mammoth that lived 10,000 years ago. Rather, the goal is to create a cold-resistant elephant, often referred to as a “functional mammoth” or a “mammophant,” that can survive in the Arctic tundra.

Why Resurrect the Mammoth?

The driving force behind this project is not tourism or curiosity. It is ecological restoration. Ben Lamm, the CEO of Colossal, and co-founder George Church, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School, argue that reintroducing megafauna to the Arctic can help combat climate change.

The theory centers on the “Mammoth Steppe.” Thousands of years ago, the Arctic was a grassland kept healthy by grazing mammoths. These massive animals knocked down trees and trampled the snow.

• Insulation: Heavy snow acts as an insulator for the ground, trapping heat. By trampling the snow, mammoths allowed the extreme cold air to reach the soil, keeping the permafrost frozen.
• Carbon Storage: Permafrost holds twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. If it melts, it releases methane and carbon dioxide. Keeping the ground frozen is a priority for climate scientists.
• Albedo Effect: Grasslands reflect more sunlight than dark forests. By preventing tree growth and encouraging grass, the land absorbs less heat.

Timeline and Challenges

Despite the success with stem cells, a living mammoth calf is still years away. Colossal Biosciences has set an aggressive target date of 2028 for the birth of their first mammoth calves.

Significant challenges remain. One of the largest ethical and technical hurdles is gestation. An Asian elephant pregnancy lasts 22 months. Using endangered Asian elephants as surrogates carries risks to the mother. To solve this, Colossal is simultaneously developing artificial womb technology. If successful, the first generation of de-extinct mammoths might be born from a machine rather than a biological mother.

This stem cell breakthrough proves that the cellular machinery required for de-extinction is functional. The project has moved from theoretical genetics into the phase of practical engineering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the animal going to be 100% Woolly Mammoth? No. The resulting animal will be a hybrid. It will be an Asian elephant with specific genetic edits that provide mammoth traits like cold tolerance, hair, and fat storage. It is functionally a mammoth but genetically a hybrid.

When will the first mammoth be born? Colossal Biosciences has publicly stated their goal is to have the first calves born by 2028, though scientific timelines are subject to change based on regulatory approval and technical hurdles.

Why was creating elephant stem cells so hard? Elephants have a unique resistance to cancer due to having many copies of the TP53 gene. This gene kills cells that are changing rapidly. Since creating stem cells involves rapid cellular change, the elephant cells were essentially “committing suicide” during the process until researchers found a way to inhibit that gene.

Will these mammoths live in zoos? While the initial calves will likely be kept in controlled environments for study, the long-term goal is “rewilding.” The plan is to release herds into Pleistocene Park, a protected area in northern Siberia, or similar environments in Alaska and Canada.