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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
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Modified MicroSecure Vitrification: A Safe, Simple and Highly Effective Cryopreservation Procedure for Human Blastocysts
Published on: March 2, 2017
Bulk vitrification of human embryonic stem cells.
Tao Li1, Canquan Zhou, Caixia Liu
1Reproductive Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road II, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, People's Republic of China. zhoucanquan@gmail.com
Human Reproduction (Oxford, England)
|December 18, 2007
Summary
A new bulk vitrification (BV) method effectively cryopreserves large quantities of human embryonic stem (HES) cells. This method offers high survival and pluripotency, surpassing traditional techniques for efficient HES cell banking.
Area of Science:
- Stem Cell Biology
- Cryopreservation Techniques
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Traditional vitrification methods are insufficient for cryopreserving large volumes of proliferating human embryonic stem (HES) cells.
- Increased demand for HES cell culture and propagation necessitates improved cryopreservation efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate a novel bulk vitrification (BV) carrier for cryopreserving substantial quantities of HES cells.
- To compare the efficacy of the BV method against the established open-pulled straw (OPS) vitrification method.
Main Methods:
- Human embryonic stem (HES) cell clumps (diameter > 70 microm) were cryopreserved using bulk vitrification (BV), open-pulled straw (OPS) vitrification, or slow freezing.
- Post-thaw analysis included HES cell survival rates, growth kinetics, and pluripotency assessment.
Main Results:
- The BV method, utilizing a cell strainer, cryopreserved significantly more HES cell clumps (136 +/- 23.4) compared to OPS (4 +/- 1.5), approximately 30 times higher.
- Bulk-vitrified HES cells demonstrated a high survival rate of 94.3%, comparable to the OPS method.
- Post-thaw HES cells retained their pluripotency, forming teratomas with all three germ layers in vivo.
Conclusions:
- The novel BV method enables simultaneous cryopreservation of a large number of HES cell clumps, meeting the demands of routine culture and research.
- This technique ensures a readily available supply of efficiently cryopreserved HES cells for scheduled studies, enhancing research scalability.
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00:58Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
00:57Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...