As the holidays approach, tissue and cell labs around the globe have to start thinking about cryopreservation. This critical procedure can be overwhelming:
The list of questions goes on and on. Here at Akron, we believe that cryopreservation is an integral part of maintaining the integrity and consistency of cell-based products. This is why we spend a lot of our time working on novel formulations as well as optimizing freeze and thaw procedures. We want to simplify and improve your cell and tissue preservation process.
We define the process as preserving cells or tissues by subjecting them to extremely cold temperatures, thus halting biological processes. It sounds relatively simple, but the science behind it is anything but – trust us. When solutions freeze, ice crystals form as the solution transitions from a liquid-state to a solid-state. These crystals can pierce cell membranes and other integral components of cells and tissues, rendering them unviable.1 To prevent this from occurring, the scientific community has come up with different cryoprotective agents (CPAs), including those that penetrate and those that do not penetrate the cell membrane. Yet, during freezing, these CPAs can concentrate at the liquid-solid interface, known as the freeze concentrate, to levels that can be detrimental to cell viability either via cytotoxicity or rapid dehydration thereof. In an attempt to minimize CPA usage and avoid freeze concentrates, freeze rates have also been explored, culminating in the Mr. Frosty device and more sophisticated controlled rate freezers. New approaches, including single-cell cryopreservation, have also been explored as means of improving cell survival and function post-thaw.2
Cryopreservation solutions tailored to specific cell types are hard to optimize and seldom available off the shelf. Akron Biotech has a line of DMSO-based and DMSO-free cryopreservation solutions to accommodate your general needs regardless of equipment. Moreover, we offer contract development and manufacturing of customer specified cryopreservation solutions as well. We are currently developing several T cell and NK cell-specific DMSO-free cryopreservation solutions.
If you are looking for our current solutions, below is a sample of our cGMP-compliant products:
CONTACT US to learn more about Akron Biotech’s Cryopreservation Solutions.
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