Rapid Rewarming Reduction of Cryoprotectant Toxicity and Concentration Employing Magnetic Nanoparticles

We will evaluate a novel warming method, developed by our collaborator John Bischof, that promises solution of one of the remaining barriers for banking of large organs and vascularized composite tissues. The method involves radiofrequency and magnetic nanoparticles to obtain rapid uniform electromagnetic rewarming of biological materials instead of warming from the outer boundary using convection warming. The tissue system model for demonstration of feasibility is heart valve tissue containing cardiac muscle, leaflet and artery. The impact of rewarming ice-free vitrified heart valve tissues using this new method will be assessed by assay of the component tissues. Dilutions of the baseline cryoprotectant formulation will be employed to determine the lowest concentrations of cryoprotectants that can be used with this new warming method and provide a model for further protocol development such as evaluation of alternative cryoprotectants. This work will be assisted by revolutionary new analytical techniques that have recently become possible for evaluation of vitrification. We anticipate that this work will maximize the viability of the tissue system components post-preservation by minimizing the risks of vitrification failures due to ice formation and cryoprotectant cytotoxicity. In Phase II this work will be expanded to the heart and/or complex vascularized composite tissues.