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. 2023 Jan 30;12(1):17-25.
doi: 10.1093/stcltm/szac083.

Freezing Biological Time: A Modern Perspective on Organ Preservation

Tracy Criswell  1 , Corné Swart  2 , Jana Stoudemire  3 , Kelvin G M Brockbank  4 , Matthew Powell-Palm  5 , Reginald Stilwell  6 , Michael Floren  6
Affiliations

Freezing Biological Time: A Modern Perspective on Organ Preservation

Tracy Criswell et al. Stem Cells Transl Med. .

Abstract

Transporting tissues and organs from the site of donation to the patient in need, while maintaining viability, is a limiting factor in transplantation medicine. One way in which the supply chain of organs for transplantation can be improved is to discover novel approaches and technologies that preserve the health of organs outside of the body. The dominant technologies that are currently in use in the supply chain for biological materials maintain tissue temperatures ranging from a controlled room temperature (+25 °C to +15 °C) to cryogenic (-120 °C to -196 °C) temperatures (reviewed in Criswell et al. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2022). However, there are many cells and tissues, as well as all major organs, that respond less robustly to preservation attempts, particularly when there is a need for transport over long distances that require more time. In this perspective article, we will highlight the current challenges and advances in biopreservation aimed at "freezing biological time," and discuss the future directions and requirements needed in the field.

Keywords: cryopreservation; organ banking; organ transplantation; organ transport.

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Figures

Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Milestones of organ and tissue preservation and transportation. Abbreviation: CPA, cryoprotective agent.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Cryopreservation of tissues. Top: The central image shows cells within a tissue under physiological conditions. In frozen tissues (left panel) employing low cryoprotectant (CPA) formulations, ice nucleation and growth within the cells and matrices results in cell death and structural damage. In contrast, vitrified tissues (right panel) employing high CPA formulations with rapid cooling and warming. Bottom: Comparison of strengths and weaknesses for the various preservation methodologies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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