BioLife Solutions granted U.S. patent covering new method of preserving cells, tissues or organs

BioLife Solutions announced today that it was granted a U.S. patent that covers the methods and compositions for the preservation of cells, tissues or organs in the vitreous state.

BioLife President and CEO John G. Baust, Ph.D., said that the market for preserving cells and tissue is growing rapidly and is diverging into new technology areas, one of which is vitrification or freezing rapidly to avoid the presence of ice crystals.

Baust said, "Our core preservation technologies can be a critical factor in applying this new technology and solidifying our patent position in that area gives us a commercial foothold as that market develops." He continued, "We believe BioLife holds a unique and encompassing intellectual property position in the biological processing and preservation of cells, tissues and organs and that our technology significantly improves the viability of cells and organs for longer periods of time during transportation and storage."

The issuance of the patent specifically provides BioLife with the latest extension of its molecular-based cryopreservation technology platform and protects BioLife's use of cell death inhibitors (calpain inhibitors) in hypothermic preservation solutions necessary to improve cryopreservation outcome. With this patent the scope of the Company's proprietary preservation technology extends into the cell, tissue and organ vitrification arena by including the Company's molecular-based approaches to preservation to prevent apoptotic and necrotic cell death following the preservation process.

This patent, No. 6,921,633, titled, "Methods and compositions for the preservation of cells, tissues or organs in the vitreous state," brings the total number of issued patents that relate to its preservation solutions to four.

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