X-Message-Number: 8414 From: Brian Wowk <> Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 01:09:55 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Reply to Tom Jonsson Your brain vitrification results with ethanol are interesting because ethanol (like methanol and propanol) "does not favor favor complete vitrification in binary systems with water." (in the words of cryobiologist Pierre Boutron). In addition to being hydrophobic and membrane toxic, it also forms hydrates that interfere with vitrification (J. Chem. Phys. 68, 5032-5041 (1978)). Ethanol is in many ways a poor cryoprotectant. This means that your results are encouraging. If ethanol appears to vitrify brains, then other penetrating agents that are known to be better glass formers and less toxic should also be able to vitrify brains with even greater preservation of function. Two major research efforts (one at 21st Century Medicine and one at a university lab funded by the Prometheus Project) are now preparing to study brain vitrification. The experiments will be conducted under controlled conditions by experienced cryobiologists so that results are publishable. I'm sorry that more support has not appeared for your work. This does not mean that no one here is interested in improved brain preservation. We are just immersed in our own exciting work. I look forward to meeting with you when you visit the U.S. *************************************************************************** Brian Wowk CryoCare Foundation 1-800-TOP-CARE President Human Cryopreservation Services http://www.cryocare.org/cryocare/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=8414