POS8-0644
Size and End-Group Engineering of Hyperbranched Polyglycerol for Enhanced Cell Cryopreservation
Topic
S8. Frontiers of Functional Polymers in Biology and Medicine
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Heesuk KIM
Jinhye BAE
Presenter(s)
Dayoung Kim (Inha Univ.)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Cryopreservation is an essential technique for the long-term storage and transportation of cells. However, freeze–thaw processes can induce ice crystal formation, osmotic imbalance, membrane disruption, and reduced post-thaw cell viability. Although dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is widely used as a conventional cryoprotectant, its cytotoxicity and potential influence on cellular functions remain important limitations. Therefore, the need for the development of alternative CPAs that provide high biocompatibility, low toxicity, and effective cryoprotective performance is emerging.
Hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG), a highly hydrophilic polymer with abundant hydroxyl groups, has emerged as a promising next-generation CPA candidate. In this study, HPGs with different molecular sizes were synthesized and further modified through end-group functionalization to prepare structurally diverse HPG derivatives. The synthesized polymers were characterized using HNMR, GPC, FT-IR and DLS. Their cryoprotective performance was then evaluated through cell freeze–thaw experiments by measuring post-thaw cell viability and recovery efficiency. In addition, the cell-protective effects of the HPG-based CPAs were compared with those of conventional DMSO-based CPA systems.
The results showed that HPGs with optimized size ranges effectively improved post-thaw cell viability, while end-group functionalization further enhanced cell protection during freeze–thaw processes. This study demonstrates that structural control of HPG can improve cryoprotective performance and provides a rational design strategy for polymer-based CPA as alternatives to conventional DMSO-dependent cell preservation systems. These findings may contribute to the development of safer and more efficient cryopreservation technologies for cell therapy and regenerative medicine applications.
Hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG), a highly hydrophilic polymer with abundant hydroxyl groups, has emerged as a promising next-generation CPA candidate. In this study, HPGs with different molecular sizes were synthesized and further modified through end-group functionalization to prepare structurally diverse HPG derivatives. The synthesized polymers were characterized using HNMR, GPC, FT-IR and DLS. Their cryoprotective performance was then evaluated through cell freeze–thaw experiments by measuring post-thaw cell viability and recovery efficiency. In addition, the cell-protective effects of the HPG-based CPAs were compared with those of conventional DMSO-based CPA systems.
The results showed that HPGs with optimized size ranges effectively improved post-thaw cell viability, while end-group functionalization further enhanced cell protection during freeze–thaw processes. This study demonstrates that structural control of HPG can improve cryoprotective performance and provides a rational design strategy for polymer-based CPA as alternatives to conventional DMSO-dependent cell preservation systems. These findings may contribute to the development of safer and more efficient cryopreservation technologies for cell therapy and regenerative medicine applications.
