ORGS2-0707
From Polymer-based Cryoprotectants to Photocurable Cryoprotective gels : Engineering Hyperbranched Polyglycerol for Enhanced Cell Cryopreservation
Topic
GS2. Graduate Student Oral Session II: Functional Biomaterials and Cosmetic Polymer Engineering
When and Where
Sep 28, 2026
15:48 - 16:00
Room 102
Session Chairs
Chaenyung CHA
Ilkoo NOH
Jun Shik CHOI
Presenter(s)
Dayoung Kim (Inha Univ.)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
The rapid growth of cell therapy and tissue engineering has increased the demand for efficient and safer cell preservation technologies. However, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-based cryoprotective agents (CPAs) still raise concerns regarding cytotoxicity and clinical side effects. Hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG), a hydrophilic polymer with abundant hydroxyl groups and a tunable molecular structure, is a promising candidate for polymer-based cryopreservation.
In this study, HPG was developed as a solution-type polymer-based CPA by controlling molecular size and terminal functionality. HPGs with different sizes and surface structures were synthesized and characterized using HNMR, GPC, FT-IR, and DLS. Their cryoprotective effects were evaluated through cell freeze–thaw experiments by measuring post-thaw viability and recovery efficiency. Based on the optimized HPG solution CPA, HPG-based cryoprotective components were further incorporated into a photocurable gel system under mild conditions, expanding the solution CPA into a 3D cell-protective platform.
The results suggested that HPG size and terminal functionality affected cryoprotective performance. Optimized HPG solution CPAs improved post-thaw viability and recovery while maintaining lower cytotoxicity than DMSO-based conditions. The photocurable cryoprotective gel retained the cryoprotective properties of the optimized HPG-based CPA and provided a stable 3D microenvironment, contributing to the maintenance of cell stability.
This study presents a stepwise strategy from solution-type HPG CPAs to photocurable cryoprotective gels. By translating the optimized cryoprotective properties of HPG into a gel-based platform, this approach offers a promising route toward safer and more efficient cell preservation systems.
In this study, HPG was developed as a solution-type polymer-based CPA by controlling molecular size and terminal functionality. HPGs with different sizes and surface structures were synthesized and characterized using HNMR, GPC, FT-IR, and DLS. Their cryoprotective effects were evaluated through cell freeze–thaw experiments by measuring post-thaw viability and recovery efficiency. Based on the optimized HPG solution CPA, HPG-based cryoprotective components were further incorporated into a photocurable gel system under mild conditions, expanding the solution CPA into a 3D cell-protective platform.
The results suggested that HPG size and terminal functionality affected cryoprotective performance. Optimized HPG solution CPAs improved post-thaw viability and recovery while maintaining lower cytotoxicity than DMSO-based conditions. The photocurable cryoprotective gel retained the cryoprotective properties of the optimized HPG-based CPA and provided a stable 3D microenvironment, contributing to the maintenance of cell stability.
This study presents a stepwise strategy from solution-type HPG CPAs to photocurable cryoprotective gels. By translating the optimized cryoprotective properties of HPG into a gel-based platform, this approach offers a promising route toward safer and more efficient cell preservation systems.
