The world has been waiting for the next scientific breakthrough incryopreservation.
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a by-product of the wood industry, has been in usesince 1953. It is one of the most studied pharmaceutical agents in the UnitedStates. Worldwide, more than 10,000 articles have been written on its medical andclinical implications. In practice, it penetrates the skin deeply and quickly withoutdamaging it. In the United States, DMSO has Food and Drug Administration(FDA) approval only for use as a preservative of organs for transplant (althoughunused) and for interstitial cystitis, a bladder disease. Doctors have prescribed itfor ailments which include treating pain, inflammation, arthritis, scleroderma andinterstitial cystitis.
In the field of cryopreservation, DMSO is often used in 5 to 10% formulation along with HSA/FBS as a cryoprotectant agent for cells andtissues. In cell preservation specifically, cell functionality is greatly impaired by DMSO, as a multitude of studies show a low rate of cellsurvival after being thawed from the cryopreservation process. This challenge is often incredibly costly for scientific development andmanufacturing organizations — not only financially, but its significant role in disrupting the ability to complete the work. Due to theseconcerns over toxicity, side effects of its strong odor (comparable to the smell/taste of garlic) which can include vomiting, diarrhea andinjection site pain, it has fallen out of favor with the medical mainstream. Moreover, as a toxic and viscous liquid, DMSO requirespremium plastics to be used for safe handling, adding to the cost borne by laboratories.
