The prospects of the application of gases and gas hydrates in cryopreservation

Abstract

In the present review, we attempt to evaluate the known properties of gas hydrates and gases that form them from the point of view of the mechanisms of cryoinjury and cryoprotection, to consider the publications on the freezing of biological materials in the presence of inert gases, and to assess the prospects of development in this field. For this purpose, we searched for information on the physical properties of gases and gas hydrates, compared the processes that occur during the formation of gas hydrates and water ice, and analyzed the effects of the formation and growth of gas hydrates on the structures of biological objects. We prepared a short review on the biological effects of xenon, krypton, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide with emphasis on hypothermal conditions and the probable application of these properties in cryopreservation technology. The descriptions of the existing experiments on cryopreservation of biological objects using gases are analyzed. Based on the information we found, the most promising directions of work in the field of cryopreservation of biological objects using gases are outlined; potential problems in this field are anticipated.