Cell-based therapies have generated substantial interest as novel therapeutic strategies for complex diseases that remain challenging to treat by traditional ‘molecular’ therapies alone, however reliable and consistent long-term cryogenic storage of mammalian cells and tissues remains a challenging problem. Most cryopreservation procedures utilize dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the cryoprotectant, however high concentration of DMSO can have harmful effects. Here we propose to develop (i) alternative non-toxic cryopreservation media which will include antifreeze proteins and biocompatible macromolecules (polymers and nanoparticles) inspired by antifreeze proteins with potent ice-recrystallization inhibition activity and (ii) investigate the efficacy of antifreeze proteins as intracellular cryoprotectants. Natural antifreeze proteins have evolved in numerous species to protect from cellular damage at temperatures below freezing and demonstrated the ability to decrease cellular damage beyond the effects of traditionally used cryoprotectants. The outcomes of this research will have wide ranging applicability to the low temperature short-term storage and long-term cryostorage of other cell types also (e.g. stem cells or embryos) and will bring us one-step closer to the successful cryopreservation of organs and whole organisms. We will also establish collaboration with other, external research groups working on cold temperature organ storage.
