Cryopreservation of Cells

Maureen Anne Harrison, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, UK

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0002561

Cryopreservation of cells is the storage of cells at liquid nitrogen temperature (–196°C) in a viable state but in suspended animation. The cells can be thawed and resuscitated when required. Freezing aliquots of cells will guard against genetic drift in continuous cell lines and against senescence in noncontinuous cell lines.

Keywords: cryoprotectant; liquid nitrogen; viability; freezing; thawing

Figure 1. Procedures for handling a new cell line. The initial handling of the cells must be carried out in a quarantine area until such a time as they are declared contamination free. The cells can then be moved to the main tissue culture area.
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 References
    Green AE, Athreya B, Lehr HB and Coriell LL (1967) Viability of cell cultures following extended preservation in liquid nitrogen. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 124: 1302–1307.
    Leibo SP and Mazur P (1971) The role of cooling rates in low-temperature preservation. Cryobiology 8: 447–452.
 Further Reading
    book Davis JM (ed.) (1994) "Basic culture technique and the maintenance of cell lines". In: Basic Cell Culture. A Practical Approach, chap.4, pp. 93–148. Oxford: IRL Press at Oxford University Press.
    book Doyle A, Griffiths JB and Newell DG (eds) (1993) Cell and Tissue Culture Laboratory Procedures, updated yearly. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons.
    book Freshney RI (1983) Instability, variation and preservation. In: Freshney's Culture of Animal Cells. A Manual of Basic Technique, chap.18, pp. 189–198. New York: Alan Liss.
    book Freshney RI (1999) Freshney's Culture of Animal Cells: A Multimedia Guide. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
    book Harrison MA and Rae IF (1997) General Techniques of Cell Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    book Hay RJ, Caputo J and Macy ML (eds) (1992) ATCC Quality Control Methods for Cell Lines, 2nd edn. Obtainable from American Type Culture Collection, 10801 University Boulevard, Manassas, VA 20110–2209, USA.
    book Kruse P and Patterson MK (1973) Tissue Culture, Techniques and Applications. New York: Academic Press.
    book Paul J (1975) Cell and Tissue Culture. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
    book Rickwood D and Harris JR (eds) (1996) "Protocol 17 Controlled rate freezing of cells using a polystyrene box. Protocol 18 Recovery of frozen cell stocks". In: Cell Biology. Essential Techniques, pp. 64–67. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons Ltd in association with BIOS Scientific Publishers.
    book Sigma Biosciences (1997) Technical information on cell freezing media and product use. Cell Culture Catalogue, p. 169. Sigma–Aldrich Company Ltd, Fancy Road, Poole, Dorset BH12 4QH, UK.
    book UKCCCR (1999) UKCCCR Guidelines for Use of Cell Lines in Cancer Research. Obtainable from United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research, PO Box 123, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK.

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Article Title: Cryopreservation of Cells
 
How to Cite close
Harrison, Maureen Anne(Apr 2001) Cryopreservation of Cells. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0002561]