Physical vitrification and nanowarming at liter-scale CPA volumes: toward organ cryopreservation

Organ banking via vitrification could transform transplantation, but has never been achieved at human organ scales. This study tested vitrification and rewarming in 0.5-3 L volumes using cryoprotective agents (CPAs): M22, VS55, and 40%EG + 0.6 M Sucrose. Ice formation and cracking was avoided through optimized convective cooling, and successful vitrification was confirmed via visual inspection, thermometry, and X-ray µCT. M22 and EG+sucrose vitrified at 0.5 L, but only M22 succeeded at 3 L; VS55 failed at all volumes. Porcine livers (~0.6-1 L total volume; ~0.23-0.75 L organ volume) were also vitrified using EG+sucrose, though not rewarmed. Future experiments are needed to optimize the protocol and achieve liver rewarming. Using nanowarming with iron-oxide nanoparticles and a newly developed 120 kW RF coil, uniform rewarming was achieved in up to 2 L volumes of M22 at ~88 °C/min. This work serves as a proof-of-concept that human organ scale vitrification and rewarming is physically possible, thereby enabling human organ banking in the future.