Aldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation is a new technique for cryopreservation first demonstrated in 2016 by Robert L. McIntyre and Gregory Fahy at the cryobiology research company 21st Century Medicine, Inc. This technique uses a particular implementation of fixation and vitrification that can successfully preserve a rabbit brain in "near perfect" condition at −135 °C, with the cell membranes, synapses, and intracellular structures intact in electron micrographs.[1] In 2016, McIntire and Fahy were awarded the first portion of the Brain Preservation Technology Prize, the Small Animal Brain Preservation Prize, by the Brain Preservation Foundation for the successful cryopreservation of a whole mouse brain.[2][3] The cryopreserved brain was rewarmed and no serious degradation was found to have occurred; the brain structure under electron microscopic evaluation after rewarming remained well-preserved.[4][5] Although this technique has not yet lead to a successful revival of a cryopreserved brain, some researchers see this technique as providing promising directions for future research.[6]
