University of California

Fern Tablin

John H Crowe

Ann E Oliver

Willem F Wolkers

Nelly M Tsvetkova

Gillian M Beattie

Alberto Hayek

Lois M Crowe

Ann F Oliver

Thurein M Htoo

Naomi J Walker

A device for holding substances during drying comprising a flask having a structure defining an opening. A pair of contiguous or juxtaposed filters is disposed in the opening. A freeze-drying assembly comprising a freeze-drying apparatus, and the device disposed in the apparatus for holding substances during freeze-drying processing. A method for processing a substance under sterile conditions comprising disposing a substance in a flask, positioning the flask in a drying apparatus, and passing a drying medium through a pair of juxtaposed filters for drying the substance.

Flask and method for drying biological materials

A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried erythrocytic cells. Alcohol (e.g., sterol or cholesterol) is at least partially removed from erythrocytic cells including erythrocytic membranes. After removal of at least part of the alcohol, the erythrocytic cells have a low phase transition temperature range, an intermediate phase transition temperature range, and a high phase transition temperature range. The erythrocytic cells may be loaded with an oligosaccharide (e.g., trehalose) which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. A process for increasing cooperativity of a phase transition of an erythrocytic cell. A process for preserving and/or increasing the survival of dehydrated erythrocytic cells, including storing dehydrated erythrocytic cells having a residual water content equal to or less than about 0.30 gram of water per gram of dry weight erythrocytic cells.

Erythrocytic cells and method for preserving cells

A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried platelets. The platelets are loaded with trehalose which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. The trehalose loading is conducted at a temperature of from greater than about 25&deg; C. to less than about 40&deg; C., most preferably at 37&deg; C., with the loading solution having trehalose in an amount from about 10 mM to about 50 mM. These freeze-dried platelets are substantially shelf-stable and are rehydratable so as to have a normal response to an agonist, for example, thrombin, with virtually all of the platelets participating in clot formation within about three minutes at 37&deg; C.

Therapeutic platelets and methods

The combination of trehalose and dimethyl sulfoxide is an unusually effective cryoprotectant for islets and islet-like cell clusters, as well as platelets. Islets and ICCs, when cooled through the thermotropic phase transition in the presence of this combination of treatment agents and then returned to physiologic temperature, retain their functionality. Likewise, platelets can be similarly cooled and warmed without undergoing premature activation. In general, trehalose can be incorporated into eukaryotic cells in general by suspending the cells in a trehalose solution and either cooling or warming the solution through the thermotropic transition of the cells.

Cryopreservation of human adult and fetal pancreatic cells and human

Growing community of inventors

Davis, CA, United States of America

Fern Tablin