# A Novel Cryopreservation Technology for Large Skin Grafts to Facilitate Tissue Banking and Allograft Transplantations

> **NIH NIH R43** · CRYOCRATE, LLC · 2020 · $160,371

## Abstract

SUMMARY
As a result of recent and rapid advances of immunogenetical, artificial intelligence (AI) and big
data technologies, the accuracy and efficiency of donor-recipient immunogenetical matching are
expected to be significantly improved. As such, traditional tissue banking practices are being
severely challenged due to low cryopreservation throughput. Skin allograft transplantations are
currently utilized for numerous clinical applications. In such applications, donor tissues are now
typically utilized as “expensive bandages”, i.e. for temporary coverage, thereby requiring painful
and damaging follow-on autotransplantation procedures. With tremendously improved skin graft
cryopreservation methods coupled with use of HLA matching based on AI network, future tissue
banking platforms can potentially provide grafts to be used as permanent and definitive treatment
for patients, thereby bringing high impact to clinical applications and the healthcare industry.
Based on CryoCrate’s novel ultra-fast (106 K/min on a sample surface) cooling technology
platform (PCT/US2019/26162), this project aims to develop a highly efficient (approaching 100%
post-thaw viability) tissue graft cryopreservation prototype system that requires no cryoprotectant.
The post-thaw viability and functionality will be assessed by standard in vitro assays using porcine
and human skin (research exempt) grafts and in vivo assays using a mouse model. After
achieving these aims, in future phase II and III stages, CryoCrate and its academic collaborator
will collaborate with a local Organ Procurement Organization (Mid-America Transplant) and a
wound healing clinic (University of Missouri Hospital) for porcine and human skin transplantation
studies and clinical trials.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10011745
- **Project number:** 1R43AI155070-01
- **Recipient organization:** CRYOCRATE, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Xu Han
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $160,371
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-12 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10011745

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10011745, A Novel Cryopreservation Technology for Large Skin Grafts to Facilitate Tissue Banking and Allograft Transplantations (1R43AI155070-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10011745. Licensed CC0.

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