Organ transplant preservation may be improved by the physical properties of cryopreservation solutions. A new study by Kavian and team at Texas A&M University combined experimental imaging with computational modeling to evaluate how glass transition temperature influences thermal stress and cracking during vitrification.
Four common cryobiology solutions were tested across a range of glass transition temperatures spanning more than 50°C. Using a custom cryomacroscope and deep-learning image analysis, the investigators found that solutions with higher glass transition temperatures were associated with significantly less cracking.
Computational models confirmed that lower glass transition temperatures lead to greater thermal contraction and higher internal stress, increasing the risk of structural failure. The relationship is driven by an inverse association between glass transition temperature and thermal expansion.
Matthew J Powell-Palm of Texas A&M said: "Understanding the chemical thermodynamics foundations of what makes a good organ cryopreservation solution is the first step toward achieving human-scale, clinical use." He noted that technologies enabling days- to weeks-long preservation at milder sub-zero temperatures are rapidly approaching the clinic.
The findings suggest current vitrification solutions may not be optimized for minimizing thermal stress at larger scales, highlighting a potential pathway for solution design to reduce structural damage.