Big advance in cryonic brain preservation

For organisations like the Alcor Life Extension Foundation and the Cryonics Institute, the goal of cryo-preservation is to “freeze” a person (immediately following death from disease or aging etc) with the aim of reviving them some time in the future when medical science possesses the technology to restore them to optimum health. To lower costs, the Alcor Life Extension Foundation offers the option to preserve only the head. The belief is that ones identity is defined by their memories and associated personality. In essence the major goal of cryo-preservation is to preserve the brain even if the body is also preserved. This relies on a freezing process using advanced cryoprotectants. Researchers have previously shown that a thin slice of animal brain tissue can be frozen, retrieved, and induced to carry an electrical signal when attached to a meter. The latest breakthrough involved the freezing of an entire rabbit brain that was later recovered in almost perfect condition. The research was performed by a company called 21st Century Medicine using a process called Aldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation. The results were confirmed using electron microscopy showing the cell membranes, synaptic connections and overall brain architecture appeared intact. The company is currently in the process of repeating these experiments on animals with larger brains.

The full research paper, titled ‘Aldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation’, published in the journal Cryobiology, can be found by searching PubMed

More information on the topic of brain preservation can be explored by visiting www.brainpreservation.org