Pig kidneys frozen for a year brought back to life

Researchers at the University of Minnesota rewarmed pig kidneys stored at -150 °C for up to a year and transplanted them into pigs, where the organs regained color and produced urine. The work, posted on bioRxiv without peer review, is a first step toward banking human organs.

• Kidneys were cooled to -150 °C and kept in a glass-like state for over a year
• Iron oxide nanoparticles heat the organ via an electromagnetic field
• After rewarming and transplant, kidneys regained color and made urine
• Results are not yet peer-reviewed or proven for long-term survival