Twenty-First Century Medicine

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21st Century Medicine is a California cryobiological research company which has as its primary focus the development of perfusates and protocols for viable long-term cryopreservation of human organs, tissues and cells at cryogenic temperatures (temperatures below −100°C) through the use of vitrification. Dr. Gregory M. Fahy, the world's foremost expert in cryopreservation by vitrification, serves on the company’s Board of Directors and prioritizes, develops and directs the company’s research activities. He also manages all extramural collaborative research projects with universities, industry and research institutions to create specific products and services.

The company holds a number of patents, most notably for cryoprotectant mixtures that greatly reduce ice formation while minimizing cryoprotectant toxicity, as well as for synthetic ice-blockers that inexpensively simulate the antifreeze protein found in arctic organisms. Their website lists peer-reviewed journal publications based on research conducted in their laboratories^[1]. In 2004 21CM received a $900,000 grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop solutions and processes to improve human heart transplantation^[2].

At the July, 2005 annual conference of the Society for Cryobiology Twenty-First Century Medicine announced the vitrification of a rabbit kidney to -135ºC with their proprietary vitrification mixture. The kidney was successfully transplantated upon rewarming to a rabbit, with complete functionality and viability^[3]. The prospect of vitrification and cryogenic storage of human organs (or xenografts) for organ transplant and replacement has become an increasingly probable possibility for the near future.