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Credit: UAB Hospital
Scientists have found that a common polymer can help red blood cells (RBCs) survive storage at freezing temperatures, and it may offer benefits over current methods of cryopreservation.
The polymer, polyvinyl alcohol, mimics antifreeze properties found in cold-acclimatized fish, such as arctic cod.
And experiments revealed that using polyvinyl alcohol in blood cryopreservation can inhibit the growth of ice crystals, which damage RBCs and make them unusable.
Matthew Gibson, PhD, of the University of Warwick in the UK, and his colleagues conducted these experiments and reported the results in Nature Communications.
“We know that certain types of fish survive perfectly well in sub-zero sea temperatures without their blood freezing,” Dr Gibson said. “We used this as a starting point to search for synthetic substances which reflect what nature already does so well.”
“On closer examination, it turns out that polyvinyl alcohol, which is actually a derivative of wood glue, mimics the properties of the antifreeze proteins found in these kinds of fish.”
So Dr Gibson and his colleagues decided to see how polyvinyl alcohol fared in blood cryopreservation.
The team tested RBCs from sheep and humans and found that polyvinyl alcohol could inhibit ice crystal growth, even when used at concentrations as low as 0.01wt%.
The polymer was most effective at 0.1wt%, which allowed for 40% RBC recovery. Higher concentrations of polyvinyl alcohol did reduce the growth of ice crystals, but the benefits were counteracted by the secondary effects of ice shaping, which can pierce cell membranes.
The researchers noted that the current method of cryopreservation typically requires more than 20wt% of organic solvents to prevent ice formation. And the solvents must be removed before the blood can be used.
“Polyvinyl alcohol has 3 things in its favor when applied to freezing blood,” Dr Gibson said. “Firstly, it reduces the growth of ice crystals during thawing. Secondly, it reduces the need for organic solvents, and, crucially, it reduces the time between defrosting and having transfusion-ready blood by eliminating the need to remove solvent.”
Dr Gibson pointed out that, although polyvinyl alcohol appears to be a promising option for cryopreservation, additional research is needed. But if the polymer proves effective in subsequent studies, it could be used on other cell types as well. 
Credit: UAB Hospital
Scientists have found that a common polymer can help red blood cells (RBCs) survive storage at freezing temperatures, and it may offer benefits over current methods of cryopreservation.
The polymer, polyvinyl alcohol, mimics antifreeze properties found in cold-acclimatized fish, such as arctic cod.
And experiments revealed that using polyvinyl alcohol in blood cryopreservation can inhibit the growth of ice crystals, which damage RBCs and make them unusable.
Matthew Gibson, PhD, of the University of Warwick in the UK, and his colleagues conducted these experiments and reported the results in Nature Communications.
“We know that certain types of fish survive perfectly well in sub-zero sea temperatures without their blood freezing,” Dr Gibson said. “We used this as a starting point to search for synthetic substances which reflect what nature already does so well.”
“On closer examination, it turns out that polyvinyl alcohol, which is actually a derivative of wood glue, mimics the properties of the antifreeze proteins found in these kinds of fish.”
So Dr Gibson and his colleagues decided to see how polyvinyl alcohol fared in blood cryopreservation.
The team tested RBCs from sheep and humans and found that polyvinyl alcohol could inhibit ice crystal growth, even when used at concentrations as low as 0.01wt%.
The polymer was most effective at 0.1wt%, which allowed for 40% RBC recovery. Higher concentrations of polyvinyl alcohol did reduce the growth of ice crystals, but the benefits were counteracted by the secondary effects of ice shaping, which can pierce cell membranes.
The researchers noted that the current method of cryopreservation typically requires more than 20wt% of organic solvents to prevent ice formation. And the solvents must be removed before the blood can be used.
“Polyvinyl alcohol has 3 things in its favor when applied to freezing blood,” Dr Gibson said. “Firstly, it reduces the growth of ice crystals during thawing. Secondly, it reduces the need for organic solvents, and, crucially, it reduces the time between defrosting and having transfusion-ready blood by eliminating the need to remove solvent.”
Dr Gibson pointed out that, although polyvinyl alcohol appears to be a promising option for cryopreservation, additional research is needed. But if the polymer proves effective in subsequent studies, it could be used on other cell types as well.
Credit: UAB Hospital
Scientists have found that a common polymer can help red blood cells (RBCs) survive storage at freezing temperatures, and it may offer benefits over current methods of cryopreservation.
The polymer, polyvinyl alcohol, mimics antifreeze properties found in cold-acclimatized fish, such as arctic cod.
And experiments revealed that using polyvinyl alcohol in blood cryopreservation can inhibit the growth of ice crystals, which damage RBCs and make them unusable.
Matthew Gibson, PhD, of the University of Warwick in the UK, and his colleagues conducted these experiments and reported the results in Nature Communications.
“We know that certain types of fish survive perfectly well in sub-zero sea temperatures without their blood freezing,” Dr Gibson said. “We used this as a starting point to search for synthetic substances which reflect what nature already does so well.”
“On closer examination, it turns out that polyvinyl alcohol, which is actually a derivative of wood glue, mimics the properties of the antifreeze proteins found in these kinds of fish.”
So Dr Gibson and his colleagues decided to see how polyvinyl alcohol fared in blood cryopreservation.
The team tested RBCs from sheep and humans and found that polyvinyl alcohol could inhibit ice crystal growth, even when used at concentrations as low as 0.01wt%.
The polymer was most effective at 0.1wt%, which allowed for 40% RBC recovery. Higher concentrations of polyvinyl alcohol did reduce the growth of ice crystals, but the benefits were counteracted by the secondary effects of ice shaping, which can pierce cell membranes.
The researchers noted that the current method of cryopreservation typically requires more than 20wt% of organic solvents to prevent ice formation. And the solvents must be removed before the blood can be used.
“Polyvinyl alcohol has 3 things in its favor when applied to freezing blood,” Dr Gibson said. “Firstly, it reduces the growth of ice crystals during thawing. Secondly, it reduces the need for organic solvents, and, crucially, it reduces the time between defrosting and having transfusion-ready blood by eliminating the need to remove solvent.”
Dr Gibson pointed out that, although polyvinyl alcohol appears to be a promising option for cryopreservation, additional research is needed. But if the polymer proves effective in subsequent studies, it could be used on other cell types as well.