1 research outputs found
Cryopreservation of the Kidney: A Feasibility Study Based on Cooling Rates
This project models the cryopreservation of a kidney submerged in liquid
nitrogen. Attempts to cryopreserve whole organs have been unsuccessful in the past due
to the formation of ice crystals in the intracellular fluid, which cause damage to the cells.
Damage can be avoided if cells are vitrified, which causes the intracellular fluid to form a
glassy solid rather than ice crystals. The vitrification process is hard to achieve because it
generally requires very high cooling rates, but it is aided by the addition of
cryoprotectants. This study used Gambit TM and FidapTM software to model cooling rates
using different concentrations of glycerol as a cryoprotectant. The concentrations of
glycerol were varied to maximize vitrification, and thus cell survival. The results of this
study show that the addition of cryoprotectant does alter the cooling rate. Cells closest to
the surface of the kidney would likely have been vitrified while cells closer to the center
had a slower cooling rate and would most likely have formed ice crystals. Cell survival is
predicted to be highest for the 2M concentration of glycerol; however, higher
concentrations should be avoided to prevent cell toxicity