Climate change is causing widespread bleaching and death among the world’s coral reefs due to rising sea temperatures. In response, Dr. Benyamin Rosental of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and his team have proposed an innovative potential solution: transplanting stem cells from resilient corals to revive vulnerable ones.

In a recent paper published in Cell Reports, Dr. Rosental, along with Shani Talice and their colleagues, demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of transplanting stem cells into sea anemones, close relatives of corals. Their research showed that stem cells from hexacorallia (Nematostella vectensis) successfully integrated, differentiated, and proliferated in transplanted individuals.

Building on prior studies indicating the presence of stem cells in hexacorallia, the team developed a novel method to isolate and implant these cells. Notably, their isolation technique holds potential applications beyond coral research.

“The basic idea is to develop cellular therapy for corals, similar to bone marrow transplantation in humans,” explains Dr. Rosental. “In humans, we transplant bone marrow from a healthy individual to a recipient with severe immune deficiency to restore the immune system through the blood stem cells in the bone marrow. For corals, the idea would be to take stem cells from a heat-resilient individual and transplant them into a sensitive one to transfer resilience against heat waves.”

Dr. Rosental is part of The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics in the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells at BGU. The study involved collaboration with researchers from the University of Miami, Stanford University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Experts from BGU’s Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change also contributed to the project.

This research represents a significant step toward addressing coral reef degradation, offering a pioneering method to enhance coral resilience. By leveraging stem cell transplantation, scientists may provide corals with the tools needed to survive in a warming world, paving the way for future breakthroughs in marine conservation and regenerative medicine.

By Impact Lab