Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cryo-electron Microscopy

Cryo-electron Microscopy

Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...

Psychosurgery

Psychosurgery

Psychosurgery, the surgical alteration or permanent removal of brain tissue to alleviate severe psychological conditions, stands as one of the most radical and controversial treatments in the history of mental health care. Its development and application have evolved significantly, marked by dramatic shifts in scientific understanding and ethical perspectives.
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Cryoprotectant Toxicity: Facts, Issues, and Questions.

Rejuvenation research·2015

Same author

Vascular and neuronal ischemic damage in cryonics patients.

Rejuvenation research·2012

Same author

Nuclear DNA damage as a direct cause of aging.

Rejuvenation research·2009

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Cryopreservation and Bioenergetic Evaluation of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Cryopreservation and Bioenergetic Evaluation of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Published on: October 20, 2023

Scientific justification of cryonics practice.

Benjamin P Best¹

¹Cryonics Institute, Clinton Township, Michigan 48035, USA. benbest@interlog.com

Rejuvenation Research

|March 7, 2008

Summary

Cryopreservation using vitrification can preserve brain tissue indefinitely. This process offers potential for future resuscitation, as neuronal damage takes hours to become irreversible.

Area of Science:

Cryobiology
Neuroscience
Medical Ethics

Background:

Very low temperatures can preserve biological tissues for extended periods.
Vitrification is a cryopreservation technique that prevents ice crystal formation.
Current resuscitation technologies have limitations in preventing brain damage after circulatory arrest.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the theoretical possibility of cryopreserving brain tissue for future resuscitation.
To evaluate the time window between legal death and irreversible brain damage.
To discuss the potential of cryonics in extending life and medical capabilities.

Main Methods:

Theoretical analysis of vitrification and cryopreservation processes.
Review of current understanding of neuronal death and reperfusion injury.

More Related Videos

Cryogenic Sample Loading into a Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer that Preserves Cellular Viability

Cryogenic Sample Loading into a Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer that Preserves Cellular Viability

Published on: September 1, 2020

A Multi-hole Cryovial Eliminates Freezing Artifacts when Muscle Tissues are Directly Immersed in Liquid Nitrogen

A Multi-hole Cryovial Eliminates Freezing Artifacts when Muscle Tissues are Directly Immersed in Liquid Nitrogen

Published on: April 6, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Cryopreservation and Bioenergetic Evaluation of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Cryopreservation and Bioenergetic Evaluation of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Published on: October 20, 2023

Cryogenic Sample Loading into a Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer that Preserves Cellular Viability

Cryogenic Sample Loading into a Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer that Preserves Cellular Viability

Published on: September 1, 2020

A Multi-hole Cryovial Eliminates Freezing Artifacts when Muscle Tissues are Directly Immersed in Liquid Nitrogen

A Multi-hole Cryovial Eliminates Freezing Artifacts when Muscle Tissues are Directly Immersed in Liquid Nitrogen

Published on: April 6, 2017

Examination of the time course of apoptosis and other cellular degradation pathways.

Main Results:

Vitrification allows brain tissue cooling to cryogenic temperatures without ice formation.
Neuronal apoptosis and complex damage from circulatory arrest occur over hours, not minutes.
A significant time window exists between legal death and irreversible brain damage for cryopreservation.

Conclusions:

Cryopreservation of the brain is theoretically possible with current and foreseeable technology.
The potential for future revival exists, provided cryopreservation is initiated before irreversible damage occurs.
Cryonics offers a potential solution for medical conditions exceeding current therapeutic capabilities.