title: Rewinding the process of mammalian extinction.
abstract: With only three living individuals left on this planet, the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) could be considered doomed for extinction. It might still be possible, however, to rescue the (sub)species by combining novel stem cell and assisted reproductive technologies. To discuss the various practical options available to us, we convened a multidisciplinary meeting under the name "Conservation by Cellular Technologies." The outcome of this meeting and the proposed road map that, if successfully implemented, would ultimately lead to a self-sustaining population of an extremely endangered species are outlined here. The ideas discussed here, while centered on the northern white rhinoceros, are equally applicable, after proper adjustments, to other mammals on the brink of extinction. Through implementation of these ideas we hope to establish the foundation for reversal of some of the effects of what has been termed the sixth mass extinction event in the history of Earth, and the first anthropogenic one. Zoo Biol. 35:280-292, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. Zoo Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saragusty
authors.affiliation: Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diecke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Stem Cell Research, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Micha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drukker
authors.affiliation: San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, California.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Durrant
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Physiology, Center for Regenerative Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.
authors.forename: Inbar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Friedrich Ben-Nun
authors.affiliation: Avantea srl, Laboratorio di Tecnologie della Riproduzione, Cremona, Italy.|Dipartimento Scienze Mediche Veterinarie, Università di Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy.|Fondazione Avantea, Cremona, Italy.
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Göritz
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hermes
authors.affiliation: The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holtze
authors.affiliation: San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Avantea srl, Laboratorio di Tecnologie della Riproduzione, Cremona, Italy.|Fondazione Avantea, Cremona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Univeristy of Teramo, Campus Coste San Agostino, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasqualino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Physiology, Center for Regenerative Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.
authors.forename: Jeanne F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Loring
authors.affiliation: Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.affiliation: School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Marilyn B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Renfree
authors.affiliation: The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seet
authors.affiliation: Tiergarten Schoenbrunn, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Voracek
authors.affiliation: ZOO Dvůr Králové, Dvůr Králové nad Labem, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stejskal
authors.affiliation: San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, California.
authors.forename: Oliver A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ryder
authors.affiliation: The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000639:trends; D056727:Endangered Species; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D008322:Mammals; D010527:Perissodactyla / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: assisted reproductive technologies (ART); biodiversity; conservation; endangered species; gametes; induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); public awareness; rhinoceros