Grant: Operating Grant

Cryobiology is the study of the effects of extremely low temperatures on biological systems, with a major application being the storage of cells and tissues for research and transplantation to treat injury and disease. While many cell types have been successfully cryopreserved clinically for decades, some cells and the vast majority of tissues have eluded successful cryopreservation. Even for those cells types that are currently cryopreserved and routinely transplanted into patients, there are difficulties that still must be overcome including suboptimal recoveries and effects associated with the chemical cryoprotectants required for cryopreservation. For example, corneal endothelial cells can be cryopreserved in suspension, but cannot be adequately cryopreserved in native tissue with sufficient retention of viability and function to allow routine transplantation of cryopreserved corneas. Amniotic membrane is a tissue currently cryopreserved and used in surgeries of the eye and skin; an understanding of the cryobiology of this tissue is required to effectively scale up to cryopreserve larger pieces of this tissue for expanded clinical use. As cellular therapies and transplant of both natural and engineered tissue are increasingly used in modern medicine, there is an urgent need for effective cryopreservation strategies. The objective of this proposal is to combine advanced engineering modelling, cryobiological expertise, and biological experimentation to develop key understanding of identified issues in cell and tissue cryopreservation with immediate application specifically to corneas and amniotic membrane.