A 100-year-old problem about to be solved: a new approach could pave the way for successful, long-lasting organ transplants, bringing science fiction closer to medical reality.
the process of preserving biological tissues by cooling them to subzero temperatures, may sound like something out of a science fiction novel.
However, scientists are developing this technology almost a century ago.
During much of this time, the advances were limited — until 2023, when researchers at the University of Minnesota managed to freeze a mouse kidney for the first time, successfully freezing it for another mouse.
This feat demonstrated the potential of using cryopreserved organs in future transplants in humans.
The cryopreservation of larger organs However, it represents a significant obstacle, because the tissues are prone to developing cracks during rapid cooling. Avoiding these fractures is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the organ for its preservation and subsequent transplantation in humans.
Recently, a team of researchers from Texas A&M University, led by Matthew Powell-Palmpublished a scientist who describes a new cryopreservation technique which can prevent the formation of fissures in the organs.
To preserve organs outside the body for longer periods, scientists use a process called glazing. This method freezes the tissue in a specific solution, keeping it in a glassy statesimilar to glass, which prevents damage caused by the formation of ice crystals.
By changing the composition of the vitrification solution, researchers can analyze how different properties influence the probability of an organ developing fissures.
“In this study, we investigated different glass transition temperatures, which we believe play a determining role in cracking”, explains Powell-Palm, cited by . “We realized that higher glass transition temperatures reduce the likelihood of cracks forming”.
The knowledge that higher transition temperatures tend to generate fewer cracks than lower temperatures allows researchers to focus on develop aqueous vitrification solutions with higher glass transition temperatures, helping to prevent organs from cracking.
“Crack formation is only part of the problem”, emphasizes Powell-Palm. “The solutions also have to be biocompatible with the tissue.”
This knowledge is essential for the field of cryopreservation, which has applications far beyond organ transplantsincluding the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity, the stabilization of vaccines and the reduction of food waste.
Cryopreservation can prolong viability from virtually any biological sample, benefiting all areas of life sciences.
“This study constitutes a seminal contribution to our understanding of the thermodynamics of aqueous solutions,” says Guillermo Aguilaralso a researcher at Texas A&M University and co-author of the study.
“I hope to see more encouraging results in this line of work, which will eventually translate into a greater viability of biological systems on all scales — from isolated cells to entire organs”, concludes the researcher.
