X-Message-Number: 18642
From: 
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 11:42:33 EST
Subject: rabbit kidneys, "vitrification"

In my post two days ago, I said, among other and more important things, that 
there has not yet, to my knowledge, despite many years of effort, been 
success in vitrifying a rabbit kidney and demonstrating viability. One of the 
reasons for saying this was that, in "News from Twenty-First Century 
Medicine" in issue no. 1 of Charles
Platt's Alcor Forum, we read: 

"Since rabbit-kidney experiments at 21st had seemed to confirm the unique
properties of its vitrification technology [whose solution was licensed
to Alcor], some observers were puzzled to learn in July that the company
temporarily suspended some of its low-temperature organ preservation
work. 

"We had some mechanical problems delivering the correct amount of CPAs
(cryoprotective agents) to some areas of the kidneys," according to J.
Dean Barry, CEO of 21st."  

There were similar reports elsewhere, and to my knowedge no claim by 21 CM or 
anyone else that rabbit kidneys have been vitrified with demonstrated 
viability. If anyone can cite such a claim, I'd like to see it, and so would 
many others. 

(There have been many claims of partial successes, and of indications of 
progress, but that is not the same thing. There have also been many partial 
successes and indications of progress with freezing, and in fact reports of 
complete success in freezing a few small mammalian organs such as the rat 
parathyroid. More importantly, Dr. Yuri Pichugin  and colleagues demonstrated 
coordinated electrical activity in networks of neurons in pieces of rabbit 
brains that had been perfused with glycerol, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and 
then rewarmed.)

As to using quotation marks around "vitrification," yes, my purpose is to 
emphasize the fact that it is not currently available anywhere for any amount 
of money. It is simply a fact, to the best of my knowledge, that no mammalian 
organ--let alone a human or dog brain--has been demonstrably vitrified. In 
fact, I don't even know of any ATTEMPT at evaluation, by any criterion, of an 
animal brain treated by the current Alcor procedure and then rewarmed. 

Once more, the main TDIS people, who are intimately acquainted both with the 
Alcor procedure and the 21 CM work, have themselves very recently said, 
repeatedly, that Alcor does not deliver what they regard as acceptable 
vitrification; and furthermore, that they themselves only hope, within the 
next year or so, at heavy additional expense, to develop a satisfactory 
vitrification procedure and demonstrate its effectiveness. 

As to whether, or to what degree, the current Alcor procedure improves the 
patient's chances, this is currently just guesswork. First, there have been 
no evaluations of the Alcor procedure, so even the condition of the patients 
is guesswork. Second, the Alcor people themselves have said that their 
current procedure requires very quick access to the patient, ruling out 
foreign patients in that respect at the present time. Third, it is difficult 
to guess where the line may be--if there is a line--between what kinds of 
damage will and will not be eventually reversible. It remains possible, and 
some well qualified people believe, that a mature nanotechnology will be both 
necessary and sufficient for revival of patients cryopreserved by any current 
method.

The basic common-sense guidelines are clear enough: 

1. If you value continued or renewed life enough, you will make 
cryopreservation arrangements of some kind with no unnecessay delay. It's not 
a huge expense for most people, and you can always change your mind--but you 
can't change your mind if you die without arrangements.

2. If you think one type of procedure is superior, by however little, you 
will choose that, if you can afford it and if there are no other 
considerations. (In practice, there are many other considerations.)

Getting back to the main point of my previous post, CI will work with TDIS 
and Alcor and ACS and anyone/everyone else to improve everyone's chances and 
to offer the widest possible range of options to CI members. 

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
www.cryonics.org

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