Science · 2026-10-15 · Afternoon briefing

Pig kidneys revived after year-long cryopreservation at -150°C

Scientists have successfully rewarmed pig kidneys after cooling them to -150°C, a process that allowed the organs to be stored for months and, in one case, over a year. In a first for the field, the kidneys—which are similar in size to human ones—were shown to be functional again after the deep-freeze process. The achievement addresses a critical bottleneck in organ transplantation: the short window of viability for donor organs, which is typically measured in hours.

The technique is a form of cryopreservation known as vitrification. By cooling the tissue rapidly, it enters a stable, 'glass-like' state that prevents the formation of destructive ice crystals, which would normally rupture cells during freezing and thawing. Where current methods preserve organs for mere hours, this process has kept a pig kidney viable for over a year, a breakthrough that could enable the creation of organ banks.

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• Pig kidneys that were “frozen” for a year have been brought back to life

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