Deep-supercooling for extended preservation of adipose-derived stem cells

Cryobiology. 2020 Feb 1:92:67-75. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2019.11.004. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

Abstract

Cell preservation is an enabling technology for widespread distribution and applications of mammalian cells. Traditional cryopreservation via slow-freezing or vitrification provides long-term storage but requires cytotoxic cryoprotectants (CPA) and tedious CPA loading/unloading, cooling, and recovering procedures. Hypothermic storage around 0-4 °C is an alternative method but only works for a short period due to its high storage temperatures. Here, we report on the deep-supercooling (DSC) preservation of human adipose-derived stem cells at deep subzero temperatures without freezing for extended storage. Enabled by surface sealing with an immiscible oil phase, cell suspension can be preserved in a liquid state at -13 °C and -16 °C for 7 days with high cell viability, retention of stemness, attachment, and multilineage differentiation capacities. These results demonstrate that DSC is an improved short-term preservation approach to provide off-the-shelf cell sources for booming cell-based medicine and bioengineering.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / cytology*
  • Animals
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cryopreservation / methods*
  • Cryoprotective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Freezing
  • Humans
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Phase Transition
  • Vitrification

Substances

  • Cryoprotective Agents