With Iron Nanoparticles, Cryopreserved Tissue Springs Back to Life

Senior author John Bischof and a sample. (Credit: University of Minnesota) Every year, thousands of donated organs go to waste because they cannot be matched with recipients in the brief window of time in which they are still viable. Extending the shelf-life of organs could help alleviate this problem, potentially cutting into waiting lists for organs where many patients languish for years. Chilling organs at extremely low temperatures and then reheating them when they are needed is one current solution. The freezing and reheating process still needs work before we start shipping large inventories of tissues to "organ banks," but scientists are making progress. University of Minnesota researchers reported Wednesday that they have developed an innovative way to quickly and safely warm tissues from sub-zero temperatures—a technique that could greatly increase the viability of donated organs.