ATP-Bio Researchers Publish Groundbreaking Study on Organ Cryopreservation

A new study published in Nature Communications reports that University of Minnesota researchers in the Engineering Research Center for Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio^SM) are one step closer to developing long-term cryopreservation and storage techniques for organ transplantation. Their study demonstrates that rat kidneys cryopreserved for up to 100 days could be successfully transplanted and recover full function in a living animal. A key element of the study’s success was their "nanowarming" technique, which ensures the organ is thawed both evenly and without the formation of ice crystals, which would damage the organ. Translating this technology for human application may enable organ banking and its associated societal benefits, which include increased and equitable access to organs and better matching of organs to recipients. Researchers on this study included lead authors Zonghu Han and Joseph Sushil Rao, MBBS, as well as Erik Finger, MD, PhD, John Bischof, PhD, Consortium Chair Susan Wolf, JD, and Tim Pruett, MD. Read more coverage in Science, STAT, Star Tribune, and the University of Minnesota Medical School website. ATP-Bio^SM is a Consortium member center.