Comparing the Activity of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Frozen Under Electromagnetic Field Freezing and Standard Slow-Freezing.

BioMed research international · 2025 · Mixed · Insufficient evidence

← Research stream

MixedInsufficient evidencePaper 5871

The EMF-assisted freezing method produced equivalent results to standard slow-freezing for number of viable cells, cell viability, and cell activity. The EMF method required significantly less time for freezing (0.25 vs. 3 h), enabling earlier transfer to liq…

Study snapshot

PublicationBioMed research international · 2025

Study typeother

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are cells obtained from the blood that are used not only in clinical tests but also in various research applications. The slow-freezing (SLF) method, currently the standard for PBMC cryopreservation, involves extended storage at -80°C before transfer to liquid nitrogen. Delays in this transfer, such as overnight or weekend holds, risk a gradual decline in cell viability. Additionally, variability in freezing duration can lead to inconsistent cell quality, emphasizing the need for an alternative freezing method that allows for more timely transfer to liquid nitrogen. This study is aimed at clarifying whether the method of using a freezer with an applied electromagnetic field (EMF) is superior to the currently used standard SLF method for PBMC cryopreservation. A comparison of the number of viable cells, cell viability, and cell activity showed that the EMF method was equivalent to the SLF method. However, the shortest time required for freezing was significantly shorter with the EMF method than the SLF method (0.25 vs. 3 h), allowing for earlier transfer of PBMC to liquid nitrogen. This demonstrates that the EMF method offers an advantage in operational efficiency, particularly for facilities that routinely process and store PBMCs, such as biobanks and other storage-focused departments.

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeother

Effect directionmixed

PopulationPeripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureNot supplied

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

number of viable cells
cell viability
cell activity
time required for freezing

Limitations

No sample size reported in the provided abstract.
No EMF exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, field strength, duration details) reported in the provided abstract.
No quantitative results provided for viability/activity outcomes beyond stating equivalence.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "other",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "freezer with applied electromagnetic field (EMF) during freezing",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "number of viable cells",
    "cell viability",
    "cell activity",
    "time required for freezing"
  ],
  "main_findings": "The EMF-assisted freezing method produced equivalent results to standard slow-freezing for number of viable cells, cell viability, and cell activity. The EMF method required significantly less time for freezing (0.25 vs. 3 h), enabling earlier transfer to liquid nitrogen.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "No sample size reported in the provided abstract.",
    "No EMF exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, field strength, duration details) reported in the provided abstract.",
    "No quantitative results provided for viability/activity outcomes beyond stating equivalence."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "peripheral blood mononuclear cells",
    "PBMC",
    "cryopreservation",
    "slow-freezing",
    "electromagnetic field",
    "freezing time",
    "cell viability",
    "cell activity",
    "biobank"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "in-vitro-studies",
      "weight": 0.78,
      "reason": "Study compares PBMC cryopreservation methods and reports cell viability/activity outcomes in a laboratory context."
    }
  ]
}

AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.

AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1155/bmri/9884345
PubMed: 41281736

Read the original paper →

Related papers

← Back to the Research Library