Scientists revive activity in frozen mouse brains for the first time
3 days ago
- #vitrification
- #cryopreservation
- #neuroscience
- Science fiction often features cryopreserved time travelers, but real-world cryogenic freezing of brain tissue has faced challenges in fully restoring brain functions.
- A German team successfully used vitrification to cryopreserve and thaw mouse brains, preserving some brain functionality, including neuronal firing and synaptic strengthening.
- The study, published in PNAS, suggests potential future applications like brain protection during disease, organ banking, and even whole-body cryopreservation of mammals.
- Ice crystal formation during freezing damages brain tissue, but vitrification avoids this by cooling tissue rapidly into a glass-like state without ice formation.
- Tests on thawed mouse brain slices showed intact neuronal membranes, near-normal electrical responses, and preserved synaptic strengthening, though observations were limited due to natural tissue degradation.