X-Message-Number: 11824 Date: Wed, 26 May 1999 15:59:50 -0400 From: Saul Kent <> Subject: Brain Cryopreservation Research In msg 11819, Thomas Donaldson wrote the following: "Yes, 21ST CENTURY MEDICINE is coming up with significant advances in cryopreservation. Yet those advances look like they will remain unspecified for some time --- hardly something on which I can report. For that matter, unless we all get together the money to support specific research on cryopreservation of brains, we'll have to put up with current suspension methods for some time into the future --- and so work on brains remains important." I agree that it's important for cryonicists to support specific research on cryopreservation of brains, but support of such research per se isn't going to speed the application of 21CM's (or any other company's) research advances to the practice of cryonics. Discus- sions about how to incorporate 21CM's advances into the practice of cryonics have been going on for several months. I'd like advanced methods of cryonics to be available to cryonicists around the world as soon as possible, but major changes in cryonics protocols take money, time, training, and the resolution of political, legal and economic issues. 21CM has done, and will continue to do brain cryopreser- vation research, but only in the context of its overall goal of exploiting its proprietary technologies to fulfill the needs of science, medicine, agricu- lture and industry. The cryopreservation and ice control needs of society are great, and 21CM has the opportunity to profit enormously if it can fulfill these needs. Moreover, much of the research that 21CM will be conduct- ing in the process of attempting to meet these needs will be beneficial-- directly and indirectly--in learning how to cryopreserve brains (and whole bodies) more effectively. Before the end of the year, cryonicists will have the opportunity of purchasing stock in 21CM. This will enable them to support cryopreser- vation research that will be of great potential value for cryonics through a company that is aiming for bigtime commercial success. Recently, a company called Advanced BioSciences (ABS) was formed that aims to take the cryopreservation, hypothermia and rescusi- tation research conducted by 21CM and other companies and apply it to the practice of cryonics. A building has been leased to provide a facility for ABS to conduct this type of applied research, as well as for the provision of cryonics services in SoCal. Discussions are underway with BioTransport, a new cryonics service company, for the joint use of this facility. If such arrangements can be worked out, it may soon be possible for cryonicists to support a coordinated program to develop and deliver state-of-the-art cryonics services to the cryonics community as a whole. ---Saul Kent, CEO, 21st Century Medicine Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=11824