EmbryoFreeze™Medium for freezing human embryos |
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EmbryoFreeze™ and EmbryoThaw™ media are PBS/propanediol based cell culture media for freezing and thawing human embryos. These media can be used with 2PN up to 4-cell stage human embryos. 3 types of kits are available:
EmbryoFreeze/Thaw complies with the following specifications:
Regulatory Europe: CE-marked Product order codes
The product composition can be found in the MSDS (see Resources). Additional information on some components is provided below: |
Component | Benefit |
Propanediol | Generally, in the first years of slow freezing, DMSO was used for cryoprotection. Indeed, early cleavage stage embryos can be frozen in either 1,2-propanediol (PROH) and DMSO, both returning comparable satisfactory results (Shaw, et al. 2000). Nowadays, DMSO is successfully replaced by PROH because of lower toxicity. Thus, in most cases, with very few exceptions, a combination PROH and sucrose is used for the cryopreservation of early embryos (Mandelbaum and Ménézo 2001) (Veeck, et al. 2009). PROH can readily permeate cell membranes and establish hydrogen bonds with water molecules to prevent ice crystallization. Consequently, PROH causes a slight lowering of the freezing point of the solution. Also, during freezing, the free water solidifies into ice and remaining solution will contain progressively higher concentration of electrolytes, reaching their toxicity level. The cryoprotective agent has the ability to reduce toxic effects of high concentrations of solutes, including salts. The protection may originate from the ability of PROH to replace water molecules around compounds, such as enzymes, hereby protecting them from irreversible conformational changes, which may occur at high salt concentrations (Chang, et al. 2010).
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Macromolecules (HSA and sucrose(20 mM)) | Cryoprotective solutions have been supplemented with macromolecules such as sucrose and human serum albumin (HSA). Several studies have shown that such molecules help to reduce physical damage and help to maintain osmotic pressure of the extracellular fluid (Shaw et al. 2000). |
Literature concerning the components
Click on the links below for more information.