How was a mouse with mammoth hair, extinct 4,000 years ago, born?

A mouse with the hair of a mammoth, a genetic cousin of the extinct elephant that disappeared about 4,000 years ago, has been born. It was successful in inducing the mouse to develop mammoth-like hair through genetic modification.

According to The Guardian in the UK on the 4th (local time), researchers from the American biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, which is attempting to revive mammoths, announced that they had created a hairless mouse with the ability to withstand cold temperatures through genetic modification. Colossal Biosciences was established in 2021 with the goal of restoring extinct animals such as mammoths.

Colossal Biosciences is attempting to restore mammoths by genetically modifying Asian elephants. The research team genetically altered mouse fertilized eggs or embryonic stem cells, injected them into embryos, and then transplanted them into surrogates. They conducted experiments using mice, which are smaller and have a faster reproductive cycle, instead of elephants, which are large and have a long reproductive period.

The researchers focused on modifying nine genes related to hair color, texture, length, pattern, and hair follicles to create mice with hair similar to that of mammoths. As a result, mice with fluffy fur, long hair, and golden brown fur were born.

Ben Lam, the principal investigator of this study and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, said he hopes to conduct behavioral tests within a few months to see how well hairless mice can withstand the cold. He already mentioned that the research team has studied the genes of ancient mammoths and compared them to those of Asian elephants to understand the differences, and has begun gene editing on the cells of Asian elephants.

The researchers aim to bring about the birth of a baby mammoth using the same genetic modification method by the end of 2028.

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It's really amazing to hear that they are creating mammoths through genetic modification~

But is it okay for humans to do such things...