Can We Save Endangered Species with Gene Editing?

The world is facing the most rapid environmental change in the history of the Earth, leading to the loss of genetic diversity necessary for adaptation and survival in many species. This is according to Prof. Cock van Oosterhout from the University of East Anglia’s School of Environmental Sciences. With the extreme environmental conditions, the world is at risk of experiencing the sixth mass extinction in the world’s history.

Prof. van Oosterhout, together with other conservation and biotechnology experts, argues that while conventional conservation techniques are vital, these tools are not enough to restore the lost genetic diversity. In a perspective article published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity, the experts propose to leverage advances in genome engineering for biodiversity conservation and restoration.

Advances in Genome Engineering

Genome engineering, also known as gene editing, enables experts to make a targeted change (add, remove, or alter genes) in the DNA of a living organism in a precise, rapid, and cost-effective manner. One of the most popular gene editing tools is CRISPR-Cas9, which was developed based on some bacteria’s gene editing system that activates naturally in response to invading pathogens. Other gene editing tools are available, such as TALENs, zinc-finger nucleases, and meganucleases.

To date, gene editing is widely used in healthcare and agriculture. CRISPR has enabled the development of cell and animal models for various hereditary and infectious human diseases and cancer; analyze and understand the molecular and cellular basis of pathogenesis; search for potential drug/treatment targets; and eliminate pathogenic DNA changes that cause medical conditions. In agriculture, gene editing led to the development of climate-resilient crops and animals, as well as healthier food and feed products.

With the breakthroughs of gene editing in healthcare and agriculture in saving lives and contributing to food security and climate change mitigation, biodiversity and conservation experts are looking at these innovations as transformative solutions to achieve targeted restoration of genetic variation from historical samples, biobanks, and related species, and save the thousands of endangered species from the brink of extinction.

Genetic Rescue Through Genome Engineering

Colossal Biosciences popularized the concept of “de-extinction” to the world with their research on the dire wolf and the woolly mammoth. While the concept is not entirely new, Colossal redefined the de-extinction technique by specifically highlighting the use of advanced gene editing technology to restore the DNA of lost megafauna and other species that had a significant impact on fragile ecosystems. With the progress on their de-extinction research, the potential of gene editing in biodiversity conservation has become more intensified.

The article in Nature Reviews Biodiversity discussed three vital applications of gene editing in conservation:

• Restoring lost genetic diversity. With gene editing, lost genetic diversity from the gene pool of the modern populations of the endangered species can be restored by using the available DNA samples stored in history museums.
• Assisted adaptation. Genes from related, more resilient species can be used to confer vital traits such as heat tolerance and disease resistance, to help threatened species thrive in climate extremes.
• Decreasing risky mutations. Species with low populations usually have harmful mutations that can be replaced with healthier gene variants from before the population crash occurred, leading to better fertility, survival, and overall health.

Cautious Conservation and Public Engagement

While genome engineering provides promising contributions to biodiversity conservation, these innovations cannot replace habitat restoration and traditional conservation initiatives. The authors of the perspective article stressed that these interventions must complement each other and must go through robust public engagement to ensure sustainable implementation in the future. After all, the unprecedented challenges faced by biodiversity at present demand revolutionary solutions to ensure that threatened species will not go extinct and further increase in number.

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