Researchers Realize Ice Inhibition for Cryopreservation----Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Researchers Realize Ice Inhibition for Cryopreservation

Mar 03, 2021

Recently, Prof. ZHAO Gang’s team from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) made progress in cryopreservation. By integrating the mechanism, chemical ice inhibition molecules and other disciplines to cope with crystallization of cryopreservation, the researchers put forward a new method of restraining crystallization of cryopreservation. The two studies were published in Advanced Science.

By far, slow freezing and vitrification are generally adopted for cryopreservation. The former method does irreversible damage to the cell. Vitrification effectively avoids former problems but requires either extremely rapid freezing rate which is too hard to achieve or high density of agent which is equally harmful to the sample.

In this study, the researchers constructed nanocomposites to control the growth and elimination together with function materials and external physical field.

Through one‐step solvothermal route, they synthesized the tungsten diselenide (WSe₂)‐polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) nanoparticles (NPs) which showed synergetic ice regulation ability both in the freezing and thawing processes. WSe₂‐PVP NPs were for the first time used for the cryopreservation of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC)‐laden constructed based on rapid freezing with low concentrations of cryoprotectants (CPAs).

This nanometer material is of high quality when it comes to restraining crystallization. It is capable of regulating ice nucleation thus reducing the damage done to the sample.

By selectively absorbing onto the crystal and melting the crystal, the nanocomposite helps the sample survive the injuries caused during thawing. Because of the protection from the nanocomposite, the cells survive both the cryopreservation and proliferate.

The breakthrough on the suppressing the formation and the growth of the ice crystals for the cryopreservation of cells and organs provides some fundamental support for future medical research and clinical treatment.

The formation, growth and elimination of the ice crystal are of great importance in the fields such as aerospace, biology and medicine.