Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Director - Anatoly N. Goltsev

Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of NAS of Ukraine was established in 1972. Currently, it is the only Institute in the world, where modern medical and biological cryotechnologies are thoroughly designed. The Institute is headed by the academician of NAS of Ukraine, winner of State Prize of Ukraine Anatoly Goltsev.
Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of NAS of Ukraine (IPCC) is an interdisciplinary research institution, which employs biologists, physicians, physicists, biophysicists, chemists, biochemists and other experts. Institute staff comprises the scientists having titles and academic degrees of the academician of NAS of Ukraine, 28 doctors of science and 120 PhDs. Into fundamental and applied researches there are involved 11 scientific departments and Low-Temperature Bank of Biological Objects, being the National Endowment (by the Decree of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 472-p of 19.08.02).
Special Designing and Technical Bureau with Experimental Unit and Interdepartmental Scientific Center (ISC) of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Academy of Medical Sciences and Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine are functioning at the Instituted as legal entity on self-funding basis.
Scientists of the Institute together with those from Kharkiv National Medical University first in Ukraine have designed the cryotechnology due to which assisted reproduction and birth of IVF baby became possible. Today this method is widely used in medical and scientific reproductive centers of Ukraine.
At the IPCC there were designed the methods for transforming stem cells into the ones of connective tissue, bones, cartilages, adipose tissue, blood vessel and pancreatic cells, that enables creating tissue-engineered constructs, vascular scaffolds in particular.
The Institute created highly efficient methods of artificial cooling for humans at -120°C, allowing the control of functional activity level of various body systems and effectively influence the rate of recovery in different diseases, including vascular disorders in aged people. This method is currently used at various medical institutions.
Our theoretical findings of low temperature effect on biological objects have become the basis for designing new cryotechnologies, which elements are synthesis of new cryoprotective agents, original ways of cryopreservation for various biological objects, and fetal tissues as well.

There were established the fact and some mechanisms of implementing "revitalizing" effect of fetal tissues of late gestation after cryopreservation with activation of genes of self-maintenance and stem cell differentiation, which would enable optimizing treatment methods of autoimmune pathologies using this material.

The Institute has successfully designed and implemented into practice the most actual, advanced and unique technologies for cord blood stem cell cryopreservation, which are not inferior to those used abroad, but even somewhat superior ones. This is why the first in Ukraine State Cryobank of Donor's Cord Blood Stem Cells to treat children with cancer may be established at the base of the Institute. The technology designed at the IPCC has no analogues in Ukraine, being an efficient alternative to extremely expensive method of bone marrow transplantation to children with cancer.