Disclosed are methods and compositions useful for treating patients with inflammatory, auto-immune and age related conditions. The disclosure relates to using Natural Killer cells and derivatives thereof in order to induce therapeutic benefit to patients affected by disease and conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes mellitus, thyroid autoimmune disease, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases. In some embodiments the disclosure permits physiological compensation for disease conditions by reduction of inflammatory cytokine levels in plasma and of senescent peripheral blood mononuclear cells thereby prolonging the time until medical intervention may be required. In alternate embodiments the disclosure permits physiological compensation for disease conditions by reduction of inflammatory cytokine levels in plasma and reduction of senescent peripheral blood mononuclear cells following medical intervention.

A blood storage system comprising: a collection vessel for red blood cells; an oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device; a storage vessel for red blood cells; tubing connecting the collection vessel to the oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device and the oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device to the storage vessel; and a gamma or X-ray irradiating device is used to irradiate red blood cells stored in the vessel, storing red blood cells under anaerobic conditions.

A blood storage system comprising: a collection vessel for red blood cells; an oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device; a storage vessel for red blood cells; tubing connecting the collection vessel to the oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device and the oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device to the storage vessel; and a gamma or X-ray irradiating device is used to irradiate red blood cells stored in the vessel, storing red blood cells under anaerobic conditions.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising: exposing an organ to be transplanted to an aqueous solution comprising: sodium (Na.sup.+) ions at a concentration between 30 and 150 mmol.Math.L.sup.−1; potassium ions (K.sup.+) at a concentration between 10 and 40 mmol.Math.L.sup.−1; polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of 35,000 g.Math.mol.sup.−1 (PEG 35000) at a concentration between 2 and 5 g.Math.L.sup.−1, wherein the step of exposing further comprises preserving and/or rinsing and/or reconditioning the organ in the aqueous solution.

An apparatus for perfusing an organ or tissue including a perfusion circuit for perfusing the organ or tissue with liquid perfusate; and an oxygenation system for oxygenating perfusate that recirculates through the perfusion circuit. The oxygenation system includes an oxygen circuit for delivering oxygen to the liquid perfusate and an air circuit for delivering ambient air to the liquid perfusate. The air may be pumped through the oxygenation system via an air pump. The air or oxygen may be bubble through the perfusate to increase oxygen levels in the perfusate. Such supplemental oxygen may beneficial during hypothermic preservation of organs.

The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the oxygenation of a graft, comprising: a) mixing an organ storage solution preferably with at least one molecule chosen from extracellular hemoglobin from annelids, its globins and its globin protomers, in order to obtain a composition, in a sealed container; b) immersion of the graft in the composition obtained in a); c) the introduction of an oxygen probe in the composition obtained in a), or in the composition of step b); and d) the closure of the hermetic container, steps c) and d) being carried out simultaneously or in any order.

It also relates to a method for determining the viability of a graft.

An improved cryopreservation process and substances can involve a cellular collection (1) in a cryopreservation fluid (4) that has been conditioned or treated (7) to enhance the cryopreservation process by adding (18) energy (19) such as in the surface energy of a substance in the cryopreservation fluid (4) prior to reducing energy for that same cryopreservation media for freezing. This can offer enhanced-post-cryogenic viability of the cryopreserved structures or a more optimum cooling curve (22) for a specific cell type.

A method of preparing viable stromal and mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue that produces high quality and high counts of stem cells with a low risk of contamination. The apparatus provides ultrasonic waves through a constant temperature bath to the tissue held in a sterile sonication container such as a test tube or jar. No sonication probe touches the tissue or the cells during the process. The stem cells produced are ready to be administered to a patient.

The invention discloses a vitrification freezing treatment device for cells. The vitrification freezing treatment device for cells includes a straw device, a pre-freezing device, a freezing unit, a driving device, a control unit and a carrying table used for carrying cell carriers, wherein the straw device is connected with the driving device in a driven mode, the driving device is in signal connection with the control unit, the straw device comprises straws used for obtaining cells in the cell carriers, the control unit is used for controlling the driving device to drive the straw device to obtain cells and to transfer the cells to the freezing unit, and the pre-freezing device is used for pre-freezing the straws when the straw device transfers the obtained cells to the freezing unit.

This disclosure provides a preserving composition comprising a cholesterol: carrier complex, optionally a cholesterol: cyclodextrin complex (CC complex) and/or a cell permeable antioxidant peptide and a biological buffer and optionally a cryprotectant, wherein the preserving composition is optionally substantially free of animal phospholipid, animal protein and/or animal lipoprotein. The disclosure also provides methods for the use of the preserving composition in cryopreservation of semen or sperm cells. Also provided is a kit comprising the preserving composition having a CC complex, a biological buffer, a cryoprotectant, a carbohydrate, a pH stabilizer, an antibiotic or antibiotic cocktail and/or a cell permeable anti-oxidant peptide.