Cryogenic storage technology not only brings hope for survival for many seriously ill patients, but also helps to alleviate workplace conflicts.
Freezing humans with low temperatures and unsealing them in the future is a common plot in science fiction. However, how to reliably store biological materials, such as cells and tissues, is obviously a more realistic problem. Now, fish living in the icy waters of the polar regions are providing inspiration for a new generation of cryogenic conservation molecules. Proteins produced by "freeze-resistant fish" and other low-temperature microorganisms can recognize the formation of ice and bind to it, acting as an antifreeze agent, otherwise, ice crystals will cause great harm to the body.
Phys.org website reported on August 10, local time, professor Matthew Gibson, a researcher at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, was inspired by antifreeze fish and reconstructed the ice-binding protein with a synthetic polymer. The advantage of the artificial method is that the protein properties are easy to adjust and can be produced at scale. Professor Gibson said: "We have thousands of monomers that can be used to synthesize polymers. We hope to improve the way frozen cells are frozen by simulating some of the properties. ”
In the CRYOSTEM project, Professor Gibson added polymers to bone marrow stem cell samples for testing. At the time of transplantation, bone marrow stem cells need to be frozen. The main method currently used is to add a protective solvent when freezing, but the effect is not ideal, and a considerable number of cells cannot survive. Professor Gibson's team confirmed that polymers can effectively reduce the amount of solvent required for cryopreservation and reduce damage to cells.
Professor Ilja Voets, a researcher at the University of Technology in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, said: "It can freeze inside and outside the cell. Where ice forms, it destroys the cellular structure there. Ice-binding proteins help us meet the challenges of freezing tissue samples, and only about half of the cells in the lab study culture are now available after freezing. It is even more difficult when it comes to conducting tissue sample studies. Frozen protein analogues do not need to preserve tissue perfectly because tissue has a strong regenerative capacity. As long as it reduces damage, the tissue can repair itself to meet the needs of the experiment. ”
Advances in cryopreservation technology will have a positive impact on society: some companies offer egg freezing services to employees with delayed reproductive needs, and ultra-cryopreservation may become an insurance strategy. Private companies have begun to provide cord blood storage services, and in the future, there may be heart tissue storage services. Professor Lemke said: "Cryogenic technology offers more options for humans. The image of the cold word 'frozen' may be about to change. ”
Editor: Lei Xinyu Reviewer: Seamo Editor:Chen Zhihan
Journal Source: Horizon
Original link: https://phys.org/news/2021-08-antifreeze-fish-cryoprotectants-human-cells.html
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