Texas A&M researchers supercool pig kidneys for days, enabling organ bank vision

In a major step toward solving the organ shortage crisis, researchers at Texas A&M have successfully supercooled pig kidneys to −4°C (25°F) and preserved them for days before reimplanting them into the same animals. The study, led by Matthew Powell Palm, used no cryoprotective chemicals — just careful temperature control. The preserved kidneys outperformed those stored on traditional ice, maintaining their function after transplantation. This “landmark achievement” moves closer to the dream of organ banks that could store organs for days or weeks, enabling rigorous testing, better patient matching, and long-distance transport.

The broader organ preservation field is buzzing with parallel advances. Machine perfusion devices, which pump nutrient-rich fluids through organs, are now used to maintain livers and kidneys for up to 24 hours. In March, a team in Valencia used a device nicknamed “Mother” to keep a human uterus alive for a full day, potentially enabling whole-eye transplants and other complex procedures. Meanwhile, cryopreservation — flash freezing cells to −196°C — remains routine for eggs, sperm, and embryos but has eluded researchers for whole organs due to ice crystal damage. Even human brains have been cryopreserved, though reviving them is far from possible. Together, these efforts are rapidly expanding the window for organ preservation and transplantation.