The General Hospital Corporation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The General Hospital Corpoation

Robert Marius Bieganski

Mehmet Toner

Martin L Yarmush

Mustafa Korkut Uygun

Maria-Louisa Izamis

Basak Elif Uygun

Osman Berk Usta

Timothy Antonie Berendsen

Sinem Perk

Michael Russo

The present invention generally relates to methods and compositions to determine viability of an organ for transplantation and other medical purposes. One aspect of the invention relates to a method for assessing the viability of an organ by measuring the energy parameters to determine the energy level of the organ by determining the stored cellular energy (e.g., ATP levels), and/or energy consumption over a particular time period of viability. The energy parameters can be compared to reference energy parameters as a highly accurate and reliable prediction of viable cell yield, and organ viability. Another aspect of the invention relates methods to preserve or extend the time period of viability of an organ any combination of (i) preservation perfusion of the organ to prevent ischemic damage, (ii) chemical metabolic suppression of the organ e.g., using metabolic suppressants, (iii) metabolic suppression by physical or environmental conditions, e.g., sub-zero non-freezing storage.

Methods and compositions for preserving tissues and organs

A preservation method for biological material having cell membranes includes reversibly porating the cell membranes; loading a bio-protective agent having bio-preservation properties to a predetermined intracellular concentration; preparing the bio-protective agent loaded biological material for storage; storing the biological material; recovering the stored biological material from storage; and reversing the cell membrane poration. H5 &#x3b1;-toxin, a genetically engineered mutant of&#x3b1;-hemolysin, may be used as a porating agent. Non-permeating sugars such as trehalose and sucrose may be used as the bio-protective agent.

Controlled reversible poration for preservation of biological materials

A preservation method for biological material having cell membranes includes reversibly porating the cell membranes; loading a bio-protective agent having bio-preservation properties to a predetermined intracellular concentration; preparing the bio-protective agent loaded biological material for storage; storing the biological material; recovering the stored biological material from storage; and reversing the cell membrane poration. H5 .alpha.-toxin, a genetically engineered mutant of Staphylococcus aureus .alpha.-hemolysin, may be used as a porating agent. Non-permeating sugars such as trehalose and sucrose may be used as the bio-protective agent.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Robert Marius Bieganski