X-Message-Number: 10725 Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 07:23:26 -0500 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #10718 - #10724 Hi everyone! About trehalose: the really critical experiment for LONG TERM cryopreservation remains to be done. How well does trehalose aid other cryoprotectants in preserving organs (particularly brains!) during long term storage in liquid nitrogen? Can it help protect vitrified organs? These are the questions we need to ask for cryonics. Successful storage for only a few months will hardly allow those stored to last long enough for a cure for their condition, and means for their rejuvenation. I haven't done a literature search on trehalose as an aid to cryoprotection. However other substances which apparently act the same haven't really helped long term cryopreservation. I am prepared to reserve judgement here, but the question still remains unanswered. Sufficient interest on Cryonet would even cause me to do a literature search, but others can do that too. And the utility of trehalose for long term storage is important. The reason for this is simple. Even at a few degrees below 0 C, there is slow deterioration. Sure, it's hardly as fast as at room temperature, but when we start talking in terms of YEARS it will show up. To prevent it you have to go much lower. And yes, an ability to store organs for transplant even as long as a month remains an important advance. Yet we'll still need much longer storage for our purposes. Best and long long life to all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=10725