Abstract
Purpose :
Retinal organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have immense promise as a tool for understanding human retinal development and disease. Nonetheless, investigations utilizing hiPSC-derived retinal organoid models have been limited by logistical factors. For example, experiments that need to be coordinated across multiple institutions depend on shipping live tissues. Shipping retinal organoids long distances without the proper climate control can result in tissue degradation, which precludes electrophysiological studies. Published retinal organoid shipping methods utilize lithium batteries, which are prohibited by most standard shipping companies, increasing the cost, and generating additional logistical constraints. We aim to develop a more robust, cost-effective, and simplistic method of shipping retinal organoids that maintains tissue viability.
Methods :
A YETI brand thermos, temperature probes, a humidity activated hand warmer, and custom printed 3D inserts were tested in various configurations across three different environments (a freezer at -12C, a refrigerator at 4C, and room temperature). The most stable configuration was then utilized to ship retinal organoids from Aurora, Colorado to Akron, Ohio using standard 1-day overnight FedEx shipping. Organoid tissue health and structural integrity, before and after shipment, were compared to organoids shipped in containers lacking an internal climate control system.
Results :
Our customized YETI configuration was able to maintain temperatures between 25-37C for up to 15 hours in below freezing conditions. Tissues shipped with climate control retained more photoreceptor outer-segments and maintained the structural integrity necessary for electrophysiological studies as compared to the control organoids.
Conclusions :
Our shipping method maintains the proper temperature of hiPSC-derived retinal organoids, preserving all measured features. This simple shipment method could be adapted for transporting other sensitive biological samples.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.