Fudan University researchers developed MEDY (Methylcellulose, Ethylene glycol, DMSO, Y27632) cryopreservation method, published May 2024 in Cell Reports Methods (DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100777), preserving structural integrity and functional activity of cortical organoids, multiple brain-region organoids (dorsal/ventral forebrain, spinal cord, optic vesicle, epilepsy patient-derived), and human brain tissue samples with retained pathological features.[1][2]
MEDY protects synaptic function, inhibits endoplasmic reticulum-mediated apoptosis, and supports large-scale storage of living neural tissues, reducing long-term culture costs and enabling reliable preservation under lunar conditions for modeling neurological diseases and maintaining cognitive restoration capabilities against existential risks.[1][2][4]
Ark team should acquire MEDY protocol (STAR Protocols, DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103466), test integration with lunar cryostorage systems, monitor Fudan University outputs from Zhicheng Shao's group, and initiate trials on Ark neural organoid banks by Q2 2026.[2][3]