X-Message-Number: 24555 From: Subject: Possible viral contamination of cryonics patients Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 02:41:28 US/Eastern Bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells harvested from different patients and stored in the same cryopreservation tank has led to transmission of hepatitis B virus between patients after transplantation [LANCET 346:137-140 (1995)]. Liquid nitrogen is, after all, a liquid -- and is thus a suitable medium for the diffusion of very small particles such as hepatitis B virus. The contamination cited above indicates that hepatitis B particles (possibly combined with cryoprotectant molecules) are hardy enough to survive diffusion in liquid nitrogen. I don't think this is a matter of serious concern for cryonicists, nor do I think any costs should be incurred to prevent possible contamination. Extensive molecular repair will be required to reanimate all existing cryonics patients and the addition of sterilization/decontamination procedures to the reanimation protocol would be trivial by comparison. -- Ben Best Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24555