Int. J. Dev. Biol. 63: 295 - 299 (2019)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.190042am

Vol 63, Issue 6-7

Isolation and phenotyping of potential stem cells from the umbilical cord of the bottlenose dolphin(Tursiops truncatus)

Technical Article | Published: 18 June 2019

Annalaura Mancia*^,1, Giulia Zuccon^1,2, Denise Lunardi¹, Barbara Biancani³, Claudia Gili³ , Roscoe Stanyon⁴, Daniel García-Parraga⁵, Mara Mellado⁶, Luigi Abelli¹ and Victoria Moreno-Manzano⁶

¹University of Ferrara, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara, Italy, ²University of Parma, Department of Bioscience, Parma, Italy, ³Costa Edutainment S.p.A., Riccione, Italy, ⁴University of Firenze, Department of Biology, Firenze, Italy, ⁵Fundación Oceanográfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Oceanográfic, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia, Spain and ⁶Neuronal and Tissue Regeneration Lab, Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain

Abstract

We have successfully isolated cells with stem-like properties from bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) umbilical cord. Our results show that this cetacean species has embryonic fetal and adult stem cells as do humans and other studied mammals. This accomplishment allows to eventually investigate whether dolphins, due to their unique adaptations to aquatic environments, have special stem cell lineages or distinctive mechanisms of cell programming. Further characterization of their potency to differentiate into multiple cell lineages would fulfill numerous applicative purposes. We characterized, developed and refined a new protocol for obtaining potential stem cells from umbilical cord tissues of the bottlenose dolphin. Tissue samples were taken from umbilical cords of successful deliveries immediately after placenta ejection and collection from the water. Umbilical cord samples (2-3 cm³) were excised and subjected to enzymatic digestion and mechanical dissociation. Viable cells from specimens resident in the Oceanografic Valencia were cultured and subsequently isolated and tested for pluripotent characteristics (cell morphology, phenotype and expression of surface markers). Cell viability was confirmed also after freezing/thawing. The established protocol is suitable for collection/isolation/culture of dolphin potential mesenchymal stem cells from dolphin umbilical cord, which can be deposited in cell banks for future research needs.

Keywords

marine mammal, injury, mesenchymal stem cell, cryopreservation, stem cell banking