The present invention provides a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for hypoxic injury, ischemia-reperfusion injury or inflammation, an agent for protecting cells for transplantation, and an agent for preserving organism. A prophylactic or therapeutic agent for hypoxic injury, ischemia-reperfusion injury or inflammation, an agent for protecting cells for transplantation, or an agent for preserving organism, containing, as an active ingredient, at least one kind selected from a heterocyclic compound represented by the formula (I) ##STR00001##
wherein each symbol is as described in the DESCRIPTION, or a salt thereof; an isothiocyanate compound represented by the formula S═C═N—R.sup.5 (II) wherein the symbol is as described in the DESCRIPTION; and a TRPA1 agonist.

Compositions and methods for the shipping, packaging, and freezing of whole or partial biological materials including but not limited to cells, tissues, and organs, designed to simultaneously reduce freezing damage and maintain tissue structure. The compositions include a buffered hyperosmotic solution, an oncotic agent, an antioxidant, a metal chelator, and a ketone body. These aspects of the present invention are applicable to transport and preservation of biological materials including but not limited to amniotic membrane of the placenta and umbilical cord and are applicable to preservation of cellular and acellular biological materials generally.

The present invention provides a method for the normalized culturing of corneal endothelial cells. More specifically, the present invention provides a culture-normalizing-agent of a corneal endothelial cell, comprising a fibrosis inhibitor. In detail, the present invention provides a culture-normalizing agent comprising a transforming growth factor (TGF) β signal inhibitor. The present invention also provides a culture medium for culturing a corneal endothelial cell normally, which comprises the culture-normalizing agent according to the present invention and corneal endothelium culture components. The present invention also provides a method for culturing a corneal endothelial cell normally, comprising the step of culturing a corneal endothelial cell using the culture-normalizing agent according to the present invention or the culture medium according to the present invention.

Disclosed herein is a device in the form of a bung for insulating a container interior from the ambient environment, the bung comprising: a plurality of insulating segments; and one or more barriers for reflecting infrared radiation. Disclosed is: a method of preparing a shipping system for retaining a cryopreserved sample, the method comprising: loading a cryopreserved sample into a container such as a vacuum flask; and fitting the bung to the container to insulate the container interior from the ambient environment, and a method of cooling a container, such as a vacuum flask, for retaining cryopreserved samples to a desired temperature, the method comprising: cooling the container interior by pouring a cryogenic fluid such as liquid nitrogen into the container; and emptying the cryogenic fluid from the container, once the cooling has at least partially taken place.

The present invention is a technology for stably maintaining a specimen (for example, exfoliative cells of a human body) contained in a vial so that the specimen can be safely transported over a long distance. In particular, the present invention is a technology for preventing deformation of a specimen by converting a liquid for specimen preservation contained in a vial into a jelly state and thus effectively preventing leakage of the liquid. The present invention has an advantage that the jellification of a liquid for cell fixation filled inside a vial is simple since the liquid for cell fixation is jellified by mixing the selected solution and the selected material.

The present invention relates to a technology that jellifies a specimen (for example, exfoliative cells of a human body) in a vial, safely transports the specimen to an examination center, restores the specimen to its original state (for example, conversion into liquid phase) in the examination center, and conducts examination of the specimen. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technology that converts a liquid for specimen preservation contained in a vial into a jelly state, safely transports the specimen to an examination center without deformation, redissolves the liquid for specimen preservation into a liquid phase at the examination center, and conducts examination of the specimen. The present invention has an advantage that the jellification of a liquid for cell fixation filled inside a vial is simple since the liquid for cell fixation is jellified by mixing the selected solution and the selected material.

An ex-vivo lung solution for machine perfusion of donor lungs on OCS. The solution may be mixed with whole blood or packed red blood cells to form the OCS lung perfusion solution.

Provided herein are methods for promoting biostasis or preservation of a cell, tissue or organ during cancer treatment or for transplantation comprising contacting the cell, tissue or organ with an agonist of the δ-opioid receptor, SNC-80, an or Donepezil. Further provided herein is a method of treating a hematological neoplastic disease.

A system comprises a fluid supply, a pressure regulator, a pressure valve, and a vent assembly. The fluid supply stores a volume of a fluid and is fluidly coupled to an outlet tube. The outlet tube is configured to be fluidly coupled to at least a portion of an organ environment. The organ environment configured to hold an organ. The pressure regulator is fluidly coupled to the outlet tube and is configured to maintain a fluid pressure of the fluid being supplied to the organ environment from the outlet tube. The fluid being supplied is at a pressure range above ambient to maintain the organ in an inflated position. The pressure valve is fluidly coupled to the outlet tube and inhibits increase of the fluid pressure above a threshold. The vent assembly removes excess fluid from the organ environment and includes a vent tube disposed within the organ environment and a vent valve disposed outside of the organ environment.

Provided is a cryopreservation jig fixture including: a base having an upper surface, side surfaces, and a bottom surface; and either a slit on the upper surface of the base or an insertion portion for inserting a cryopreservation jig on the upper surface of the base and a slit having one end opened at a lateral portion of the insertion portion. Also provided is a method of freezing and thawing a cell or tissue, which uses the fixture.