Maintaining viability and characteristics of cholangiocarcinoma tissue by vitrification-based cryopreservation

- 35 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tissue slices have been vitrified successfully.
- The viability of vitrified-rewarmed ICC tissues was up to 80% of the fresh tissues.
- No significant alterations in morphology and gene expression were introduced.
- Primary tumor cells could be isolated from the rewarmed tissues.
- Cryopreserved ICC tissues could generate PDXs with take rate of 68.2%.

Tumor tissue has great clinical and scientific value which relies highly on the proper preservation of primary materials. Conventional tumor tissue cryopreservation using slow-freezing method has yielded limited success, leading to significant cell loss and morphological damage. Here we report a standardized vitrification-based cryopreservation method, by which we have successfully vitrified and warmed 35 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tissues with up to 80% viability of the fresh tumor tissues. Cryopreserved ICC tissue could generate patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with take rates of 68.2% compared to 72.7% using fresh tumor tissues. Histological and genetic analyses showed that no significant alterations in morphology and gene expression were introduced by this cryopreservation method. Our procedure may facilitate collection, long-time storage and propagation of cholangiocarcinoma or other tumor specimens for (pre)clinical studies of novel therapies or for basic research.