Until Labs Unveils "Glass, Not Ice" Protocol, Targets Weeks-Long Organ Preservation

San Francisco, CA – Biotechnology firm Until Labs has announced the publication of its "Glass, Not Ice" protocol, detailing a reversible cryopreservation method designed to revolutionize organ transplantation. The protocol, which aims to extend organ viability from hours to weeks or even months, addresses a critical bottleneck in the current organ donation system. Until Labs shared the development via a recent tweet, stating, "Today we’re publishing Glass, Not Ice. It’s a detailed walkthrough of what a reversible cryopreservation protocol could look like, and why we’re building this technology first for patients who need an organ transplant."

Until Labs, a San Francisco-based company, has raised over $100 million to date, including a $58 million Series A round led by Founders Fund with participation from Lux Capital and Field Ventures. The company's core mission is to "pause biological time" for human organs, preventing the loss of thousands of donated organs annually due to logistical constraints and short preservation windows. Current viability for hearts, lungs, and livers is typically 4-12 hours, while kidneys last 24-36 hours.

The "Glass, Not Ice" approach centers on vitrification, a process that cools biological tissue to ultra-low temperatures without forming damaging ice crystals, instead turning the water into a glassy, amorphous solid. A key challenge in organ cryopreservation has been the rewarming process, where conventional methods often cause new ice crystal formation and damage. Until Labs utilizes a proprietary "nanowarming" technique, employing iron oxide nanoparticles perfused into the organ, which are then rapidly and uniformly heated using radiofrequency fields.

Recent research, including a study published in Nature Communications, has demonstrated the physical and biological success of vitrifying and nanowarming rat kidneys, enabling their preservation for up to 100 days. These nanowarmed organs, after transplantation, successfully restored renal function and sustained the lives of recipient animals. This breakthrough could transform organ transplantation from an urgent, time-sensitive procedure into an elective one, allowing for better donor-recipient matching and improved patient outcomes.

Beyond immediate organ preservation, Until Labs harbors an ambitious long-term vision. The company views its organ-scale cryopreservation work as a foundational step towards developing whole-body medical hibernation technology, potentially opening new frontiers in medicine. The successful implementation of the "Glass, Not Ice" protocol could significantly reduce organ discard rates, ensuring that more life-saving organs reach patients in need.