X-Message-Number: 33432 Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2011 16:18:26 -0700 Subject: custom manufactured liposomes From: Jeff Davis <> I've occasionally posted what I think might prove a successful approach to achieving low cellular damage and low toxicity cryopreservation -- essentially a cryopreservation good enough so that only the rewarming challenge remains as the last obstacle to reversible suspension. A crucial element of that process would be the perfection of a liposome-mediated cryoprotectant delivery system. This would consist of a family of manufactured liposomes each targeted for binding to a particular cell type by the appropriate complementary surface-membrane protein. Each tissue-specific liposome would contain a cryoprotectant mix customized to optimally protect that particular cell type. And each liposome would have surface trans-membrane protein structures designed -- or copied from naturally occurring liposome docking mechanisms -- to effect the injection of the cryoprotectant across the target cell membrane. This method of administering cryoprotectant -- as an alternate to the blunt instrument of gross, whole organism, "vanilla" cryoprotectant perfusion that relies on cell penetration by simple diffusion -- will finally allow the use of more effective and less toxic cryoprotectant mixes (trehalose as one component is the first that comes to mind, but there are many) which have up till now been unusable because of inadequate rates of trans-membrane diffusion. . I suggested this approach years ago, and have been watching since for the commercial development of custom liposome manufacture. Well, here it is: Microfluidic Assembly Line for mass producing synthetic cell-like compartments http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/microfluidic-assembly-line-for-mass.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2Fadvancednano+%28nextbigfuture%29 Combining this tech with the new CAS freezing method,... well, I'd like to see some experimentation with lab mice, or maybe fish, or chicken. Wouldn't you? Best, Jeff Davis "Everything's hard till you know how to do it." Ray Charles Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=33432