Scientists Learned To Freeze & Defrost Brain Without Damage
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Scientists from the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) and the University Hospital Erlangen have achieved a breakthrough in the cryopreservation of brain tissue. To do this, they developed and applied a vitrification method—ultra-rapid tissue cooling to temperatures below –130°C, which transforms the water in the cells into a glassy state without the formation of cell-damaging ice crystals.
“We sought to understand whether brain function could be restored after complete cessation of molecular mobility in the vitreous state,” commented the study’s author, Alexander German.
The scientists first worked with a brain tissue sample, including the hippocampus. Rapid vitrification and storage in liquid nitrogen at -196°C yielded excellent results: neural and synaptic membranes were intact, and mitochondrial activity tests revealed no metabolic damage.
The researchers then applied the technology to the entire organ and stored it at -140°C. They made numerous adjustments to minimize tissue damage.
After thawing, the organ demonstrated vital functions. For example, the preservation of neural pathways was confirmed.
At this stage, the scientists were unable to assess the preservation of cognitive functions in the animals, as they were working with tissue sections. “We have preliminary data on the viability of human cerebral cortex tissue, so we will continue to explore the use of vitrification for cryopreservation of whole organs,” the authors concluded.
Although the work is currently limited to short-term restoration of tissue activity in laboratory conditions and does not involve reviving an entire brain or organism, it offers hope for the further development of cryopreservation, artificial hibernation (including for space flights), and delayed treatment of currently incurable diseases.
