Provided is a method for storing or transporting renal cells that have a high cell viability, maintain a physiological function of the kidney, and can be used as a drug evaluation system, at a temperature lower than a culture temperature. An aspect of the present invention is a method for storing or transporting renal cells, the method including a maintenance step of managing a liquid containing aggregates of the renal cells to a temperature that is a maintenance temperature and lower than a culture temperature of the renal cells and at which the liquid is not frozen.

According to the present invention, a syringe for cryopreservation of cells, a nucleic acid, or a protein comprising: a barrel having a spout and an opening and for containing cells, a nucleic acid, or a protein; a gasket slidably accommodated in the barrel; a plunger connected to the gasket; and a cap that seals the spout of the barrel, wherein the barrel is formed from a fluororesin, and the gasket is formed from a fluororesin or a polyethylene resin. The syringe is excellent in usability, durability, and safety.

A dual-vial system, kit, and method for preservation of semen samples in mail-in semen analysis kits are described. The system comprises a dual-vial kit that comprises a first vial for collecting a semen sample of a subject, a second vial having a predetermined volume of a stabilization medium, and a transfer device for transferring a predetermined portion of the semen sample from the first vial to the second vial such that the transfer device has a volume allowing transfer of 1 part of the semen sample to be diluted in 3 parts of the stabilization medium in the second vial. Accordingly, the dual-vial kit enables preservation of semen viability for an extended period of up to 72 hours and carrying out of semen analysis within up to 72 hours of storing the semen in the stabilization medium.

Analysis of cell populations for both research and clinical applications such as cell therapy is often performed on whole blood that is close to 24 hours old. The reason for this is that the analysis site is removed from the blood draw site so that blood must be shipped overnight to the analysis site. During the 24-hour shipping period granulocytes, primarily neutrophils, breakdown into cell debris including release of nucleic acids into the blood. Such debris is known to interfere with immunological assays and with rethawing following freezing of samples. There is a need for a method and apparatus to solve this issue. The invention disclosed herein solves the issue. Following blood draw at the draw site the neutrophils are removed using an apparatus that draws blood into a tube that contains anti-CD15 bound to nickel magnetic particles. Following mixing the tube is placed in a magnetic field and then while still in the magnetic field the blood with neutrophils removed is transferred into a new tube for shipment to the analysis site.