Liver cell spheroids are cryopreserved using macromolecular cryoprotectants, which will enable their easy banking and sharing.

The GibsonGroup are developing new tools (polymers and small molecules) to predict advanced therapies and cells from cold damage, inspired by Extremophiles. In their latest work, the team show that polymeric cryoprotectants can protect 3-D assemblies of cells, termed spheroids, during cryopreservation. This is important as 3D cell models can better predict physiological responses (in vivo) than traditional 2D cell culture, but 3D cell culture is more challenge and less widely used. This technology will in the future enable banking, storage and transport of 3D cell models direct to the user. This was funded by an ERC Proof of Concept grant and in collaboration with Cryologyx - a biotech spun out from Warwick.

Cryopreservation of Liver-Cell Spheroids with Macromolecular Cryoprotectants | ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces