Is human brain preservation possible? New study brings it closer

In an astonishing medical discovery German scientists have successfully reawakened dead brain tissue.

According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany used a technique called vitrification to solve the problem of freezing a complex brain tissue without irreversibly damaging it.

Traditional freezing causes crystal formation inside the tissue that expands over time and punctures cell membranes. This process destroys the neuron connections that underlie thought, memory and consciousness.

In contrast, vitrification avoids the formation of ice crystals by turning tissue into an amorphous, glass-like state which preserves the tissue structure with all molecular motion effectively halted.

Researchers performed an experiment on mouse brain tissue. They stored the samples (thin slices of the mouse’s hippocampus), for periods ranging from 10 minutes to a full week, after cooling them at -196 centigrade using liquid nitrogen.

Upon rewarming those tissues, scientists observed the restoration of key neural functions, including neuronal firing, cell metabolism, and brain plasticity, marking a significant development in the field of medicine.

Why does it matter?

The research has significant implications for medical science. The breakthrough could open new avenues for protecting the brain after critical injury or during severe disease treatments. 

Turning the brain into a suspended state could buy precious time for treatment.

It would also open the possibility of freezing donor brains and other complex organs for longer durations to be used in transplantation.

In an interview with Nature, a mechanical engineer and cryobiology specialist Mrityunjay Kothari said: “This kind of progress is what gradually turns science fiction into scientific possibility.”