1
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Nagorska A, Tomás RMF, Tasnim A, Robb NC, Gibson MI. Cryopreserved Kidney Epithelial (Vero) Cell Monolayers for Rapid Viral Quantification, Enabled by a Combination of Macromolecular Cryoprotectants. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:5352-5358. [PMID: 39051654 PMCID: PMC11323000 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Plaque assays quantify the amount of active, replicating virus to study and detect infectious diseases by application of samples to monolayers of cultured cells. Due to the time taken in thawing, propagating, plating, counting, and then conducting the assay, the process can take over a week to gather data. Here, we introduce assay-ready cryopreserved Vero monolayers in multiwell plates, which can be used directly from the freezer with no cell culture to accelerate the process of plaque determination. Standard dimethyl sulfoxide cryopreservation resulted in just 25% recovery, but addition of polyampholytes (macromolecular cryoprotectants) increased post-thaw recovery and viability in 12- and 24-well plate formats. Variability between individual wells was reduced by chemically induced ice nucleation to prevent supercooling. Cryopreserved cells were used to determine influenza viral plaques in just 24 h, matching results from nonfrozen controls. This innovation may accelerate viral detection and quantification and facilitate automation by eliminating extensive cell culturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Nagorska
- CryoLogyx
Ltd, Venture Centre, University of Warwick
Science Park, Coventry CV4 7EZ, U.K.
| | - Ruben M. F. Tomás
- CryoLogyx
Ltd, Venture Centre, University of Warwick
Science Park, Coventry CV4 7EZ, U.K.
| | - Afifah Tasnim
- Division
of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
| | - Nicole C. Robb
- Division
of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
| | - Matthew I. Gibson
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
- Division
of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
- Manchester
Institute of Biotechnology, University of
Manchester, 131 Princess
Street, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K.
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2
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Gokaltun A, Asik E, Byrne D, Yarmush ML, Usta OB. Supercooled preservation of cultured primary rat hepatocyte monolayers. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1429412. [PMID: 39076209 PMCID: PMC11284110 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1429412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Supercooled preservation (SCP) is a technology that involves cooling a substance below its freezing point without initiating ice crystal formation. It is a promising alternative to prolong the preservation time of cells, tissues, engineered tissue products, and organs compared to the current practices of hypothermic storage. Two-dimensional (2D) engineered tissues are extensively used in in vitro research for drug screening and development and investigation of disease progression. Despite their widespread application, there is a lack of research on the SCP of 2D-engineered tissues. In this study, we presented the effects of SCP at -2 and -6°C on primary rat hepatocyte (PRH) monolayers for the first time and compared cell viability and functionality with cold storage (CS, + 4°C). We preserved PRH monolayers in two different commercially available solutions: Hypothermosol-FRS (HTS-FRS) and the University of Wisconsin (UW) with and without supplements (i.e., polyethylene glycol (PEG) and 3-O-Methyl-Α-D-Glucopyranose (3-OMG)). Our findings revealed that UW with and without supplements were inadequate for the short-term preservation of PRH monolayers for both SCP and CS with high viability, functionality, and monolayer integrity. The combination of supplements (PEG and 3-OMG) in the HTS-FRS solution outperformed the other groups and yielded the highest viability and functional capacity. Notably, PRH monolayers exhibited superior viability and functionality when stored at -2°C through SCP for up to 3 days compared to CS. Overall, our results demonstrated that SCP is a feasible approach to improving the short-term preservation of PRH monolayers and enables readily available 2D-engineered tissues to advance in vitro research. Furthermore, our findings provide insights into preservation outcomes across various biological levels, from cells to tissues and organs, contributing to the advancement of bioengineering and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aslihan Gokaltun
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Eda Asik
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Delaney Byrne
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Martin L. Yarmush
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - O. Berk Usta
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA, United States
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3
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Tomás RMF, Dallman R, Congdon TR, Gibson MI. Cryopreservation of assay-ready hepatocyte monolayers by chemically-induced ice nucleation: preservation of hepatic function and hepatotoxicity screening capabilities. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:7639-7654. [PMID: 37840476 PMCID: PMC10661096 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01046e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Cell culture plays a critical role in biomedical discovery and drug development. Primary hepatocytes and hepatocyte-derived cell lines are especially important cellular models for drug discovery and development. To enable high-throughput screening and ensure consistent cell phenotypes, there is a need for practical and efficient cryopreservation methods for hepatocyte-derived cell lines and primary hepatocytes in an assay-ready format. Cryopreservation of cells as adherent monolayers in 96-well plates presents unique challenges due to low volumes being susceptible to supercooling, leading to low recovery and well-to-well variation. Primary cell cryopreservation is also particularly challenging due to the loss of cell viability and function. In this study, we demonstrate the use of soluble ice nucleator materials (IN) to cryopreserve a hepatic-derived cell line (HepG2) and primary mouse hepatocytes, as adherent monolayers. HepG2 cell recovery was near 100% and ∼75% of primary hepatocytes were recovered 24 hours post-thaw compared to just 10% and 50% with standard 10% DMSO, respectively. Post-thaw assessment showed that cryopreserved HepG2 cells retain membrane integrity, metabolic activity, proliferative capacity and differentiated hepatic functions including urea secretion, cytochrome P450 levels and lipid droplet accumulation. Cryopreserved primary hepatocytes exhibited reduced hepatic functions compared to fresh hepatocytes, but functional levels were similar to commercial suspension-cryopreserved hepatocytes, with the added benefit of being stored in an assay-ready format. In addition, normal cuboidal morphology and minimal membrane damage were observed 24 hours post-thaw. Cryopreserved HepG2 and mouse hepatocytes treated with a panel of pharmaceutically active compounds produced near-identical dose-response curves and EC50 values compared to fresh hepatocytes, confirming the utility of cryopreserved bankable cells in drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity studies. Cryopreserved adherent HepG2 cells and primary hepatocytes in 96 well plates can significantly reduce the time and resource burden associated with routine cell culture and increases the efficiency and productivity of high-throughput drug screening assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben M F Tomás
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Robert Dallman
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | | | - Matthew I Gibson
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
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4
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Ji J, Xu H, Li C, Luo J. Small-Caliber Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts Based on Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Progress and Challenges. TISSUE ENGINEERING. PART B, REVIEWS 2023; 29:441-455. [PMID: 36884294 DOI: 10.1089/ten.teb.2023.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Small-caliber tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs, luminal diameter <6 mm) are promising therapies for coronary or peripheral artery bypassing surgeries or emergency treatments of vascular trauma, and a robust seed cell source is required for scalable manufacturing of small-caliber TEVGs with robust mechanical strength and bioactive endothelium in future. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) could serve as a robust cell source to derive functional vascular seed cells and potentially lead to generation of immunocompatible engineered vascular tissues. Up to date, this rising field of small-caliber hiPSC-derived TEVG (hiPSC-TEVG) research has received increasing attention and achieved significant progress. Implantable, small-caliber, hiPSC-TEVGs have been generated. These hiPSC-TEVGs displayed rupture pressure and suture retention strength approaching to those of human native saphenous veins, with vessel wall decellularized and luminal surface endothelialized with monolayer of hiPSC-endothelial cells. Meanwhile, a series of challenges remain in this field, including functional maturity of hiPSC-derived vascular cells, poor elastogenesis, suboptimal efficiency of obtaining hiPSC-derived seed cells, and relative low ready availability of hiPSC-TEVGs, which are waiting to be addressed. This review is conceived to introduce representative achievements and challenges in small-caliber TEVG generation using hiPSCs, and encapsulate the potential solution and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi Ji
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongju Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiesi Luo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
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5
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Tomás RMF, Bissoyi A, Congdon TR, Gibson MI. Assay-ready Cryopreserved Cell Monolayers Enabled by Macromolecular Cryoprotectants. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:3948-3959. [PMID: 35972897 PMCID: PMC9472225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Cell monolayers underpin the discovery and screening
of new drugs
and allow for fundamental studies of cell biology and disease. However,
current cryopreservation technologies do not allow cells to be stored
frozen while attached to tissue culture plastic. Hence, cells must
be thawed from suspension, cultured for several days or weeks, and
finally transferred into multiwell plates for the desired application.
This inefficient process consumes significant time handling cells,
rather than conducting biomedical research or other value-adding activities.
Here, we demonstrate that a synthetic macromolecular cryoprotectant
enables the routine, reproducible, and robust cryopreservation of
biomedically important cell monolayers, within industry-standard tissue
culture multiwell plates. The cells are simply thawed with media and
placed in an incubator ready to use within 24 h. Post-thaw cell recovery
values were >80% across three cell lines with low well-to-well
variance.
The cryopreserved cells retained healthy morphology, membrane integrity,
proliferative capacity, and metabolic activity; showed marginal increases
in apoptotic cells; and responded well to a toxicological challenge
using doxorubicin. These discoveries confirm that the cells are “assay-ready”
24 h after thaw. Overall, we show that macromolecular cryoprotectants
can address a long-standing cryobiological challenge and offers the
potential to transform routine cell culture for biomedical discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben M F Tomás
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Akalabya Bissoyi
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
| | | | - Matthew I Gibson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.,Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
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6
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Construction of transplantable artificial vascular tissue based on adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells by a cell coating and cryopreservation technique. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17989. [PMID: 34504254 PMCID: PMC8429436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97547-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Prevascularized artificial three-dimensional (3D) tissues are effective biomaterials for regenerative medicine. We have previously established a scaffold-free 3D artificial vascular tissue from normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) and umbilical vein-derived endothelial cells (HUVECs) by layer-by-layer cell coating technique. In this study, we constructed an artificial vascular tissue constructed by human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (hASCs) and HUVECs (ASCVT) by a modified technique with cryopreservation. ASCVT showed a higher thickness with more dense vascular networks than the 3D tissue based on NHDFs. Correspondingly, 3D-cultured ASCs showed higher expression of several angiogenesis-related factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor-A and hepatic growth factor, compared to that of NHDFs. Moreover, perivascular cells in ASCVT were detected by pericyte markers, suggesting the differentiation of hASCs into pericyte-like cells. Subcutaneous transplantation of ASCVTs to nude mice resulted in an engraftment with anastomosis of host's vascular structures at 2 weeks after operation. In the engrafted tissue, the vascular network was surrounded by mural-like structure-forming hASCs, in which some parts developed to form vein-like structures at 4 weeks, suggesting the generation of functional vessel networks. These results demonstrated that cryopreserved human cells, including hASCs, could be used directly to construct the artificial transplantable tissue for regenerative medicine.
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7
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Bissoyi A, Braslavsky I. Adherent cell thawing by infrared radiation. Cryobiology 2021; 103:129-140. [PMID: 34400151 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Cryopreservation of adherent cells is crucial for commercial cell therapy technology, including effective distribution and storage. Fast thawing has been shown to increase cell recovery in vitrified samples. Previously, radiofrequency (RF) has been investigated as a heating source on large samples, either with or without magnetic particles. Also, laser heating with the aid of dye or nanoparticles has been utilized on sub-millimeter samples successfully. For slow freezing cryopreservation methods, the influence of rate of thawing on viability is less clear. Cryopreservation of surface adhered cells result in many cases in detachment from the surface. We illustrate how intense infrared radiation from a focused halogen illuminator accelerates thawing. We show that two epithelial cell lines, retinal pigment epithelium cells and heterogeneous human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, can be effectively cryopreserved and recovered using a combination of slow freezing and fast thawing under infrared illumination. We were able to successfully thaw samples, of 2-4 mm thick, including the media, on the order of a second, providing a heating rate of thousands of Kelvin per minute. Under optimal conditions, we observed higher post-thawing cell viability rates and higher cell adhesion with infrared thawing than with water bath thawing. We suggest that bulk warming with infrared radiation has an advantage over surface warming of surface-attached cells, as it alleviates cell stress during the process of thawing. These findings will pave the way for novel approaches to treating substrate-adhered cells and 3D scaffolds with cells and organoids. This technology may serve as a crucial component in lab-on-chip systems for medical testing and therapeutic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akalabya Bissoyi
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
| | - Ido Braslavsky
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
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8
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Marquez-Curtis LA, Bokenfohr R, McGann LE, Elliott JAW. Cryopreservation of human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells and astrocytes in suspension and monolayers. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249814. [PMID: 33852594 PMCID: PMC8046249 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) keeps pathogens and toxins out of the brain but also impedes the entry of pharmaceuticals. Human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMECs) and astrocytes are the main functional cell components of the BBB. Although available commercially as cryopreserved cells in suspension, improvements in their cryopreservation and distribution as cryopreserved monolayers could enhance BBB in vitro studies. Here, we examined the response to slow cooling and storage in liquid nitrogen of immortalized hCMEC/D3 cells and human primary astrocytes in suspension and in monolayers. HCMEC/D3 cells in suspension cryopreserved in 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 95% fetal bovine serum or in 5% DMSO and 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) showed post-thaw membrane integrities above 90%, similar to unfrozen control. Cryopreservation did not affect the time-dependent ability of hCMEC/D3 cells to form tubes on Matrigel. Primary astrocytes in suspension cryopreserved in the presence of 5% DMSO and 6% HES had improved viability over those cryopreserved in 10% DMSO. Monolayers of single cultures or co-cultures of hCMEC/D3 cells and astrocytes on fibronectin-coated Rinzl coverslips retained membrane integrities and metabolic function, after freezing in 5% DMSO, 6% HES, and 2% chondroitin sulfate, that were comparable to those of unfrozen controls even after overnight incubation. Rinzl is better than glass or Thermanox as an underlying solid substrate for cryopreserving hCMEC/D3 monolayers. Cryopreserved hCMEC/D3 monolayers expressed the junction proteins ZO-1 and claudin-5 similar to their unfrozen counterparts. Hence, we describe improved cryopreservation protocols for hCMEC/D3 cells and astrocytes in suspension, and a novel protocol for the cryopreservation of monolayers of hCMEC/D3 cells and astrocytes as single cultures or co-cultures that could expand their distribution for research on disease modeling, drug screening, and targeted therapy pertaining to the BBB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah A. Marquez-Curtis
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Reid Bokenfohr
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Locksley E. McGann
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Janet A. W. Elliott
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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9
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Stubbs C, Bailey TL, Murray K, Gibson MI. Polyampholytes as Emerging Macromolecular Cryoprotectants. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:7-17. [PMID: 31418266 PMCID: PMC6960013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cellular cryopreservation is a platform technology which underpins cell biology, biochemistry, biomaterials, diagnostics, and the cold chain for emerging cell-based therapies. This technique relies on effective methods for banking and shipping to avoid the need for continuous cell culture. The most common method to achieve cryopreservation is to use large volumes of organic solvent cryoprotective agents which can promote either a vitreous (ice free) phase or dehydrate and protect the cells. These methods are very successful but are not perfect: not all cell types can be cryopreserved and recovered, and the cells do not always retain their phenotype and function post-thaw. This Perspective will introduce polyampholytes as emerging macromolecular cryoprotective agents and demonstrate they have the potential to impact a range of fields from cell-based therapies to basic cell biology and may be able to improve, or replace, current solvent-based cryoprotective agents. Polyampholytes have been shown to be remarkable (mammalian cell) cryopreservation enhancers, but their mechanism of action is unclear, which may include membrane protection, solvent replacement, or a yet unknown protective mechanism, but it seems the modulation of ice growth (recrystallization) may only play a minor role in their function, unlike other macromolecular cryoprotectants. This Perspective will discuss their synthesis and summarize the state-of-the-art, including hypotheses of how they function, to introduce this exciting area of biomacromolecular science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Stubbs
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Trisha L. Bailey
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Murray
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew I. Gibson
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
- Warwick
Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
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10
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Tomás RF, Bailey TL, Hasan M, Gibson MI. Extracellular Antifreeze Protein Significantly Enhances the Cryopreservation of Cell Monolayers. Biomacromolecules 2019; 20:3864-3872. [PMID: 31498594 PMCID: PMC6794639 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The cryopreservation of cells underpins many areas of biotechnology, healthcare, and fundamental science by enabling the banking and distribution of cells. Cryoprotectants are essential to prevent cold-induced damage. Here, we demonstrate that extracellular localization of antifreeze proteins can significantly enhance post-thaw recovery of mammalian cell monolayers cryopreserved using dimethyl sulfoxide, whereas they show less benefit in suspension cryopreservation. A type III antifreeze protein (AFPIII) was used as the macromolecular ice recrystallization inhibitor and its intra/extracellular locations were controlled by using Pep-1, a cell-penetrating peptide. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy confirmed successful delivery of AFPIII. The presence of extracellular AFPIII dramatically increased post-thaw recovery in a challenging 2-D cell monolayer system using just 0.8 mg·mL-1, from 25% to over 60%, whereas intracellularly delivered AFPIII showed less benefit. Interestingly, the antifreeze protein was less effective when used in suspension cryopreservation of the same cells, suggesting that the cryopreservation format is also crucial. These observations show that, in the discovery of macromolecular cryoprotectants, intracellular delivery of ice recrystallization inhibitors may not be a significant requirement under "slow freezing" conditions, which will help guide the design of new biomaterials, in particular, for cell storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben
M. F. Tomás
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Trisha L. Bailey
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Muhammad Hasan
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
- Warwick
Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew I. Gibson
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
- Warwick
Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
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