Liko in his sling soon after his surgery and application of extracellular matrix treatment in July. Liko stayed in his sling for about two weeks. The wound dressing was changed and extracellular matrix material reapplied regularly during that period.

An expert team of marine mammal veterinarians, medical researchers, cosmetic surgeons and dolphin trainers recently joined forces to apply the latest advances in human regenerative medicine in an attempt to restore a bottlenose dolphin’s damaged dorsal fin.

The procedure on Liko, a 3-year-old male dolphin at Dolphin Quest on Hawaii’s Big Island, took place on July 30 and marked the first-ever marine mammal application of extracellular matrix tissue repair. Liko (pronounced Lee-ko) continues to undergo pioneering veterinary light emitting diode (LED) therapy to stimulate tissue growth and regeneration in his injured fin.

Liko sustained a tear at the base of his dorsal (top) fin, likely in a game of “chase” with his dolphin cohorts. While wild dolphins have been observed with similar and more severe lacerations that can result in eventual loss of the dorsal fin, Dolphin Quest veterinarians organized the ground-breaking procedure in an effort to keep as much of Liko’s dorsal fin intact as possible. A dolphin’s dorsal fin consists of soft, cartilage-like tissue.

“Liko’s story is a story of medicine with a big heart,” said Rae Stone, a Dolphin Quest veterinarian and co-owner. “It shows extraordinary voluntary cooperation across several human medical and veterinary disciplines that has involved numerous experts with cutting-edge technology and specialized experience. Liko is one very lucky young dolphin.”

“Liko’s progress has been fantastic, and he’s well on his way to healing completely,” said Stephen Badylak, the Pitt tissue engineering expert enlisted by Dolphin Quest. “The things we’ve learned working together to save Liko’s dorsal fin will help other dolphins in the future and many, many other animals of all kinds, as Liko’s story helps introduce the concept of regenerative medicine to the veterinary field.”

The use of extracellular matrix for the repair of soft tissues was developed by Badylak, a research professor in the Pitt School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery and director of the Center for Pre-Clinical Tissue Engineering at the University’s McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Once in place, the matrix, a three-dimensional scaffold void of cells but with structural and functional proteins still intact, serves to recruit the appropriate cells for tissue remodeling without producing scarring.

The extracellular matrix used in Liko’s procedure was derived from pig urinary bladder and provided by ACell™ Inc.; Badylak and his team at Pitt custom-designed it for Liko in consultation with Dolphin Quest veterinarians.

A major challenge the team faced was keeping the application in place on the active dolphin in a saltwater lagoon environment for the time it was expected to take for the soft tissue to sufficiently regenerate. The medical team employed a specially designed sling to protect the extracellular matrix patch.

Liko’s dorsal fin continues to heal, as the young dolphin continues to participate in pioneering regenerative therapies in a quiet lagoon alongside the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort in Hawaii. Veterinarians are excited by his progress, but they caution that Liko still is on the road to recovery.

Updates on Liko’s treatment regimen and his progress in recovery are periodically posted on the Dolphin Quest Web site www.dolphinquest.org.