Work

Red blood cell-activated antifreeze metal-organic framework armor for cryopreservation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Red blood cell (RBC) cryopreservation is essential for maintaining ex vivo biological function and enabling long-term storage. However, the fragile nature of RBCs makes them highly susceptible to hemolysis during freezing and thaw cycles, limiting their widespread application. Here, a metal-organic framework (MOF)-based armor has been developed in a physiological environment, which enables one-step in situ encapsulation and unloading of RBCs. This MOF armor, functioning as a nano-bio interface, effectively shields RBCs from cryo-induced damage while preserving their native oxygen-carrying function. The MOF-armored RBCs not only inhibit ice recrystallization by restricting water molecule movement within the porous MOF structure but also serve as a “catalyst” to induce the smoothing of the ice front during growth, reducing sodium chloride eutectic formation and accelerating ice melting. Cryopreservation assays demonstrate exceptional RBC recovery (51%) at a low MOF concentration (1 mg·mL -1 ), confirming the effectiveness of this protective strategy in enhancing cryoprotectant efficacy. These findings highlight the potential of MOF-derived architectures for the cryopreservation of various cell types and tissue samples, paving the way for innovative preservation technologies. A MOF-based armor enables the in situ encapsulation and unloading of RBCs, effectively protecting them from freeze-thaw damage. This protection is achieved by reducing ice grain size through the molecular-level restriction of free water molecule mobility, smoothing the ice growth front, and shortening cellular exposure to the ice phase through accelerated ice melting during thawing.

Source: Materials Today Bio

DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.102529

Authors: Xin Li, Zhaoyang Gong, Muzhe Xu, Song Wang, Bingbing Sun

Institutions: Dalian University of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Process Engineering

Language: English

Topic: Metal-Organic Frameworks: Synthesis and Applications

Subfield: Inorganic Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,400

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China Stem Cell and Translational Research