The camels, symbols of humility, loyalty, and spiritual purification, are animals deeply rooted in the Middle East. Since ancient times, Saudi culture has lived closely alongside camels, used as means of transport on the old routes from the Persian Gulf to Mecca and Medina.
Known as Ata Allah (the Gift of God) for their contribution of abundant milk, textiles thanks to the fiber and felt of their hair, and their ability to survive long periods without eating or drinking, ideal for covering long journeys through the desert, camels are respected and admired in traditional Arab culture…
For this reason, in 2009, in the transformative city of Dubai, located in the heart of the United Arab Emirates and under the faithful gaze of the Persian Gulf, a historic milestone took place that would revolutionize biotechnology on the Arabian Peninsula and throughout the world: the birth of the first cloned camel in the world. Its divine meaning and importance for Arab culture fostered a breakthrough whose precedent traces back to the birth of the sheep Dolly, in 1996, through somatic cell nuclear transfer (TNCS).
A major achievement for science and Arab culture
This historic event represented a tremendous achievement for the scientific community and for the Arab world.
To obtain or achieve what one tries or desires.
That is the meaning of achievement, which was precisely what was accomplished in laboratories in the successful attempt to achieve the birth of a camel through cloning techniques.
Such was the magnitude of this milestone that the newborn camel was given the name Injaz, which means achievement or feat in Arabic.
How was Injaz born?
Injaz, the first cloned camel in history (female), was born in April 2009 through somatic cell nuclear transfer (TNCS), the same procedure used with Dolly the sheep thirteen years earlier.
First, a camel of great value with an extensive documented record was selected. This step can be defined as the most important, since the new offspring will be identical to the donor, so it is essential to ensure the value of its predecessor.
Steps in the laboratory
After obtaining a small piece of tissue, a cell culture was established following established protocols.
This epithelial tissue was processed to create a cell culture. Then, it was incubated and the cells began to replicate from the tissue, generating a cell line that was stored in liquid nitrogen as a source of donor nuclei. Thus, once all materials were ready, the TNCS process could begin.
TNCS from the donor nucleus to the previously enucleated oocyte
As they write in their reports, these somatic cells generated from egg donors were used to transfer their genetic material to a previously enucleated egg. After selecting the somatic cell, it was fused with the egg. In this way, the genetic material from the donor cell was activated to begin its development in the enucleated egg and produce a cloned embryo.
After various processes, the embryos were ready to be transferred to female camel recipients. Once the pregnancy was confirmed, the cloned calf was born 378 days later: this was the birth of the famous Injaz.
This birth set a historic precedent, as it was the first cloned camel. Recent reports following this event confirm that camels have since been successfully cloned, with even better results thanks to cloning methodology.
Advances thanks to Injaz’s birth
Thanks to the birth of Injaz and continued research in the field of genetic replication, today it can be determined that one of the objectives of cloning is to ‘eliminate’ the concept of ‘endangered animals.’ Maintaining and preserving the genetic and cultural heritage of camels has made it possible to save the wild Bactrian camel, a two-humped species that was in critical danger of extinction.
After the successful cloning of this species in 2017, the risk of extinction has decreased or disappeared, since conserving its genetic line in liquid nitrogen offers the opportunity to replicate it at any time. Without the arrival of Injaz in 2009, this would not be possible.