Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine
Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine

Project COLDIMPACT

The Fraunhofer Institutes ITEM, IWS and IBMT are developing cryopreserved lung slices for research, providing a key basis for the development of new therapies and safety assessments.

© Generated with OpenAI (DALL-E)

Project COLDIMPACT

Development of cryopreserved lung slices for research

Each individual responds differently to medicines or chemicals – a fact that has long posed challenges for the development of new therapies and safety assessments. With the COLDIMPACT project, three Fraunhofer Institutes (ITEM, IWS and IBMT) are laying the foundation for a decisive advance: the development of high-quality cryopreserved tissue slices with an almost unlimited shelf life. This makes it possible to use human tissue flexibly and on demand for research and development, independent of the availability of fresh material.

The goal is clear: disease models based on human tissue samples are intended to enable more reliable predictions of the efficacy and safety of new medicines – far beyond the current limitations of animal testing and the restricted availability of fresh tissue. COLDIMPACT thus addresses an urgent need in science and industry and lays the groundwork for innovative test systems that take patient-specific contexts into account and significantly improve access to relevant models.

Why do we need fresh human tissue in the laboratory?

The storage of human tissue is the main limitation preventing more extensive use of human tissue for testing the safety and efficacy of drug candidates as well as the safety of chemicals.

© Uli Planz, Fraunhofer CIMD

Greater temporal flexibility

By preserving tissue samples, they can be made available for research at any time.

Specific disease context

Depending on the research question, samples from patient-specific disease contexts are available and can be reused multiple times if required.

Characterized tissue

Our characterized tissue can be used either autologously – i.e. with samples from the same donor – or combined with tissue from similar donors. For further refinement in the human context, additional matched blood samples can also be included.

Cryopreservation process in five steps

Cryopreservation by vitrification enables the freezing of tissues or cells in a glass-like state without ice crystal formation, thereby optimally preserving structure, function and cellular interactions. The following outlines the five key steps of this process, from sample preparation to storage.

© Fraunhofer ITEM, Ralf Mohr

1. Sample preparation

The selected tissue or cell preparation is carefully washed, trimmed and transferred into a suitable container. All processed samples must be homogeneous and free of contaminants.

© Fraunhofer ITEM, Ralf Mohr

2. Addition of cryoprotective agents (CPAs)

Special cryoprotective agents are gradually introduced to minimize osmotic stress and reduce the risk of cell damage caused by ice crystal formation.

© Bild generiert mit Hilfe von OpenAI (DALL·E)

3. Rapid cooling – vitrification

By rapid cooling (e.g. in liquid nitrogen), the medium is vitrified into a glass-like state, preventing crystal formation and ensuring optimal preservation of cellular and tissue structures.

© Fraunhofer ITEM

4. Transport and storage under cryogenic conditions

Following vitrification, the sample is safely transported and/or stored long term under cryogenic conditions (−150 °C to −196 °C) to maintain functionality and viability.

© Fraunhofer ITEM, Ralf Mohr

5. Thawing and rehydration

During thawing, controlled warming is followed by the stepwise removal of cryoprotective agents, returning the sample to an active state and preparing it for subsequent analyses.

Expertise des Projekt-Konsortiums

 

World-leading expertise in tissue cultures

  • Internationally recognized expertise in lung biology and lung disease
  • Globally known and acknowledged laboratory for fresh human tissue
  • Standardized tissue slice laboratory
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Tailored microsystem solutions for biomedical applications

  • Microphysiological systems
  • Simulation
  • Smart control platforms
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Innovation strength in cryotechnologies

Cryobiotechnology

  • Tailored protocols
  • Cryopreservation media development
  • Specialized analytical methods

Cryoelectronics – sample monitoring

Biobanking – quality management

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