New approach to preserving organs for later use
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New York: Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have discovered a new approach to preserving tissues and even organs for later use.
"This could be an important step toward the preservation of more complex tissues and structures," said Adam Higgins from OSU.
Ice-free cryopreservation has already found widespread use in simpler applications such as preserving semen, blood, embryos, plant seeds and some other biological applications.
But it is often constrained by the crystallisation that occurs when water freezes, which can damage or destroy tissues and cells, Higgins said.
To address this, researchers have used various types of cryoprotectants that help reduce cell damage during the freezing process - among them is ethylene glycol, literally the same compound often used in automobile radiators to prevent freezing.
A problem, Higgins said, is that many of these cryoprotectants are toxic, and can damage or kill the very cells they are trying to protect from the forces of extreme cold.
"This could be an important step toward the preservation of more complex tissues and structures," said Adam Higgins from OSU.
Ice-free cryopreservation has already found widespread use in simpler applications such as preserving semen, blood, embryos, plant seeds and some other biological applications.
But it is often constrained by the crystallisation that occurs when water freezes, which can damage or destroy tissues and cells, Higgins said.
To address this, researchers have used various types of cryoprotectants that help reduce cell damage during the freezing process - among them is ethylene glycol, literally the same compound often used in automobile radiators to prevent freezing.
A problem, Higgins said, is that many of these cryoprotectants are toxic, and can damage or kill the very cells they are trying to protect from the forces of extreme cold.
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