X-Message-Number: 7685 From: "JDY" <> Subject: Hextend as cryoprotectant? Date: 11 Feb 97 06:48:27 GMT Newsgroups: sci.cryonics I came across a news item at http://www.businesswire.com/cnn/btim.htm, dated may 96. It's probably old news to most readers here, but it was new to me. BioTime researchers were presented results at a meeting, and the text mentioned experimental results which pointed to the possibility for long term preservation of organs. My question is, would the solution (hextend?) be useable as a cryoprotectant? Are any of the cryonics organizations considering using it? Why or why not? BTW I also noticed that BioTime is on the top 25 list of individual investor magazine. Perhaps if their Hextend product enjoys commercial success, some of their profits will be reinvested into cryopreservation of organs. Jim Y. Here is an excerpt: ================ Additional research on the use of Hextend supplemented with cold-protective agents was presented by Dr. Hal Sternberg, BioTime's research vice president. He described experiments in which hamsters were completely blood substituted at hypothermic temperatures with BioTime solutions, and then placed in sub-zero freezing baths for periods of up to 2 hours. These animals reached deep body temperatures as low as -4 C, and then were revived to consciousness and reactivity. An analysis of brain tissue immediately following revival indicated that substantial freezing and thawing of the tissues of the brain had occurred. Sternberg said "these experiments reveal that mammals can survive - at least for short periods - partial freezing of vital organs, if their blood is replaced with solutions which guard against some of the damage caused by ice crystallization. These studies suggest that techniques for maintaining a wide variety of tissues and organs in frozen or partially frozen states for extended time periods may be achievable when adequate solutions and protocols are developed. This breakthrough could lead to long term organ and tissue banking for transplantation." Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=7685