Prolongation of islet xenograft survival by cryopreservation

Our attempt to reduce islet immunogenicity by slow cooling to -40 degrees C, storage at -196 degrees C, and rapid thawing is based on the differential susceptibility of various cell types to a freeze-thaw process. Five hundred rat islets (greater than or equal to 100 micron) were immediately implanted or cryopreserved and then implanted beneath the renal capsule of streptozocin-induced diabetic mice with or without an injection of anti-lymphocyte serum at the time of transplantation. Thirteen days after transplantation, all fresh xenografts had rejected, whereas 37.5% of cryopreserved grafts were still functioning. In immunosuppressed mice, 6.2% of fresh xenografts and 54.5% of cryopreserved grafts were functioning 19 days after transplantation. These results show that cryopreservation can extend xenograft survival.