Vitrification for Tissue/Organ Preservation
January 5, 2016 | Terry Sharrer
Keeping regenerated tissue viable over time is more of a potential problem now, but as this technology arises, labs will need a way to store what they’ve grown. Freezing is one solution, but ice crystals destroy cells in most instances. But ice-free cryopreservation, aka vitrification, may be possible based on work at Oregon State University. Bioengineers in Corvallis have created a mathematical model for time, temperature and moisture factors which show that if cells are allowed to swell in a cryoprotectant for a precise time, they then can be quick frozen, and later thawed with a survival rate greater than 80%. MORE
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