Tsinghua University Team Makes New Progress in Cross-Scale Biological Sample Cryopreservation
Release time:
2025-12-12
Cryopreservation technology, as a key support for cell therapy, regenerative medicine, organ transplantation, and biological resource preservation, has long been constrained by ice crystal damage—from single cells to complex organs, the formation, propagation, and recrystallization of ice during rewarming progressively amplify structural and functional damage. Recently, Assistant Professor Geng Hongya’s team at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School has achieved a breakthrough in cross-scale biological sample cryopreservation. The related findings were published in the top international journal Advanced Materials, offering innovative solutions to two core challenges: low-temperature ice inhibition and efficient rewarming.
Addressing the shortcomings of traditional cryopreservation technologies, which struggle to balance micro-scale ice inhibition and macro-scale uniform heating, the team designed a snowman-shaped Janus nano-hybrid material (VPF) based on prior research into antifreeze peptides and ice-inhibiting photothermal nano-cryoprotectants. Through a synergistic dual-strategy of “ice inhibition and heating,” they achieved dual breakthroughs in cross-scale cryopreservation. The material is asymmetrically assembled from magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and photothermal polypyrrole (PPy), resembling a “snowman”: Fe₃O₄ disrupts the hydrogen bond network at the ice-water interface through strong hydration, weakening the matching between water molecules and ice; PPy adheres to the ice crystal surface, forming a micro-curved interface that inhibits recrystallization via the Gibbs-Thomson effect and drives water molecules toward the hydrophilic “head.” Molecular dynamics simulations show that this structure reduces the average ice crystal area by 98.4%, significantly improving ice inhibition efficiency.
During the rewarming phase, VPF relies on the synergistic principle of photothermal and magnetic heating. Under alternating magnetic fields and near-infrared light, it dynamically rotates, enabling volumetric heating “from the inside out,” completely eliminating temperature gradients and thermal stress. Experiments demonstrate a heating rate exceeding 920°C/min, capable of penetrating tissue several centimeters thick and safely traversing the dangerous ice formation temperature range, providing rewarming conditions previously unattainable for organ-level cryopreservation.
In application validations, the material exhibited broad adaptability: human umbilical vein endothelial cells and mesenchymal stem cells maintained high viability; probiotics retained 86% activity without DMSO; neural cell spheres preserved their 3D structure and function with low-concentration cryoprotectants; and 50mL-scale porcine trachea samples showed high consistency with fresh tissue in terms of cilia, collagen distribution, and mechanical properties. Additionally, VPF’s magnetic responsiveness enables rapid separation of over 98%, significantly reducing operational difficulty and paving the way for GMP translation.
The universal cryopreservation strategy proposed in this study provides key technical support for building high-quality organoid banks, advancing precision medicine, and industrializing cell and tissue preparations. From decoding the underlying logic of ice crystal damage to achieving efficient cross-scale cryopreservation, this breakthrough not only injects new momentum into regenerative medicine but also offers a novel technical solution for advancing “organ-level cryopreservation” from vision to reality, opening new pathways for the long-term preservation and precise utilization of biological resources.
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