Depressed Metabolism

M22 represents the culmination of decades of work in applied cryobiology by researchers Gregory Fahy , Brian Wowk, and others to develop a vitrification agent that can recover complex organs (such as the kidney) from cryogenic temperatures without ice formation and minimal toxicity. In 2005, M22 was licensed by the patent holder 21st Century Medicine [...]

As discussed in a previous post, perfusion of the brain following long-term (>5 min) ischemia has been shown to be significantly compromised, particularly in subcortical regions. An interesting recent article by Ristagno, et. al in Resuscitation (May 2008) has added new data to the equation, using some of the most advanced technologies available for measuring [...]

“People like you and I, though mortal of course like everyone else, do not grow old no matter how long we live…[We] never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.”
Albert Einstein

One sign of the lack of faith in the future progress of technology and the poor acceptance [...]

Elevation of body temperature occurring as a result of hypothalamic coordination of autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral responses in reaction to physiological injury or invasion is generally known as fever. Traditional thought is that the “febrile response” is beneficial in preventing the proliferation of invading microorganisms, but some caregivers consider fever to be harmful and prescribe [...]

As discussed by R. Michael Perry in his recent contribution to Cryonics Magazine, “Alternatives to Cryonics: A Very Preliminary Study,” (3rd Quarter 2007) chemical fixation of the brain may be a substitute for cryopreservation in circumstances where cryonics is not feasible or affordable. Several issues come into play when attempting to determine whether chemical fixation [...]

An ongoing quest in cryonics is the successful demonstration of memory sustainment after cryopreservation of the brain and rewarming from cryogenic temperatures. To that end, landmark experiments were performed by Pichugin, et al. (2006) on rat hippocampal brain slices which indicate that the hippocampus retains excellent structural integrity and viability (as measured by Na+/K+ ion [...]

A strong argument in favor of neuropreservation is that all efforts can be devoted to vitrification of the brain. Perfusion times are shorter and challenges present during perfusion of the rest of the body (such as abdominal swelling and the higher viscosity of whole body perfusates) are eliminated. The technique of isolated head perfusion [...]