The China-based biotechnology company Sinogene has presented the first case of cloning a female Arctic wolf, a species listed as ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The fact has raised great controversy among the genetics community due to an ethical discussion, as cloning is frowned upon unless it is used in critically endangered species.
The Arctic wolf cub, Maya
The little Arctic wolf named Maya was introduced to the Chinese state media one hundred days after her birth. According to those in charge of Sinogene’s project, the cub is in good health and is living in the company’s laboratory, which is located in Jiangsu province, in eastern China. According to Sinogene itself, Maya’s case is a milestone in the application of cloning technology as a means of species conservation. Although not all of the scientific community agrees with the Chinese biotech company.
“To save the endangered animal, we started research cooperation with Harbin Polarland [a theme park in Heilongjiang province] on cloning the Arctic wolf in 2020,″ said Mi Jidong, who serves as general manager of Sinogene. “After two years of arduous efforts, the Arctic wolf was successfully cloned. It is the first case of its kind in the world,” he added.
Cloning process
According to the information given by the Beijing-based biotechnology company, the donor cell was obtained from a fur sample of a female Arctic wolf of Canadian origin, whose name is also Maya. But the oocyte, which is the germ cell that takes place in reproduction and could, in some ways, be said to be the precursor of the egg, was obtained from a female dog whose breed was not disclosed. The gestation, on the other hand, took place in the uterus of a beagle dog, according to Zhao Jianping, deputy director of Sinogene.
This was not a simple process; to achieve successful cloning, a total of 85 embryos were implanted in four female beagle dogs. Zhao explained that the choice of the breed for gestation was due to the genetic similarity between the two species. Once Maya is old enough, she will be moved to Harbin Polarland, an animal theme park that already faces several ethical questions from animal rights advocates.
Ethical debate in the absence of regulation
The scientific community has expressed reservations about the Arctic wolf cloning project because although cloning technology has advanced enormously, there is still no guarantee that cloned animals will not develop health problems inherent to the cloning process.
In addition, many also argue that such procedures should be used as a last resort for the conservation of critically endangered species. The Arctic wolf is not one of these species in the first place, and this is not a case where the Mayan wolf is destined for release into the wild but will become part of a theme park whose ultimate goal is animal profit.
This is not the first time that China has been involved in cloning issues that have sparked criticism around the world. In 2021, Chinese laboratories created 132 embryos with a genetic mix between human and macaque. In the face of non-existent regulatory laws on biotechnological engineering and genetic modification, many scientists turn to Chinese laboratories to carry out experiments of this nature, a matter that should be subject to greater regulatory standards. All this without taking into account the animal experimentation that continues to take place in laboratories, which on more than one occasion has already been labeled cruel.
[Photos: Sinogene]
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva
