Viability and infectivity of measles virus-infected nervous tissue frozen in cryoprotective medium

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Neuroscience
• Cryobiology

Background:

• Measles virus can infect the central nervous system, leading to neurotropic complications.
• Preserving the viability of infected tissue is critical for isolating and studying neurotropic viruses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine an effective method for preserving measles virus-infected hamster brain tissue for subsequent viral isolation.
• To establish a reliable protocol for storing neurotropic measles virus specimens.

Main Methods:

• Hamster brain tissue infected with measles virus was subjected to slow-freezing.
• The cryoprotective medium used contained dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
• Viability of the frozen tissue was assessed for neurotropic measles virus isolation.

Main Results:

• Slow freezing of infected brain tissue in medium with dimethyl sulfoxide maintained tissue viability.
• This cryopreservation technique proved essential for successful isolation of neurotropic measles virus.

Conclusions:

• Slow freezing with dimethyl sulfoxide is a viable method for preserving measles virus-infected brain tissue.
• This technique facilitates the isolation of neurotropic measles virus from frozen specimens, aiding further research.