High throughput method for simultaneous screening of membrane permeability and toxicity for discovery of new cryoprotective agents.

Cryoprotective agent (CPA) toxicity is the most limiting factor impeding cryopreservation of critically needed tissues and organs for transplantation and medical research. This limitation is in part due to the challenge of rapidly screening compounds to identify candidate molecules that are highly membrane permeable and non-toxic at high concentrations. Such a combination would facilitate rapid CPA permeation throughout the sample, enabling ice-free cryopreservation with minimal toxicity. This study presents a method for rapidly assessing the cell membrane permeability and toxicity of candidate CPAs, identifies several novel high-permeability low-toxicity CPAs for further testing, and lays the groundwork for additional high throughput screening to discover novel CPAs with the potential to improve cryopreservation of complex tissues and organs.