Granted Patent B2

US 12,359,870 · App. 17/245,445 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Inventors: Markus Nuopponen (Helsinki, FI); Marjo Yliperttula (Espoo, FI); Arto Merivaara (Helsinki, FI); Ossi Korhonen (Hamula, FI); Jacopo Zini (Helsinki, FI); Elle Koivunotko (Helsinki, FI); Lisa Chinello (Padua, IT); Giulia Scapin (Castegnero, IT); Anne Meriluoto (Helsinki, FI); Lauri Paasonen (Järvenpää, FI)

Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION

F26B5/06C12N5/0062C12N2513/00C12N2533/78

Abstract

Claims (11)

1. A method for freeze-drying a hydrogel composition, the method comprising:

providing the hydrogel composition, wherein the hydrogel composition comprises cellulose nanofibrils and/or cellulose nanocrystals, at least one saccharide, at least one amino acid, and biologics, the content of the at least one saccharide in the hydrogel composition being 100-1000 mM, the content of the at least one amino acid in the hydrogel composition being 50-700 mM, the at least one amino acid comprising glycine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, or any combination thereof, the biologics comprising eukaryotic cells, a tissue, an organoid, a mini-organ, extracellular vesicles, or any combination thereof; and

freeze-drying the hydrogel composition, thereby obtaining a freeze-dried hydrogel composition.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel composition comprises cell culture medium, the method further comprising removing the cell culture medium from the hydrogel composition at least partially and replacing it with a solution comprising the at least one saccharide and the at least one amino acid prior to freeze-drying the hydrogel composition.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one saccharide comprises or is at least one of a disaccharide, a trisaccharide, an oligosaccharide, or a mixture or combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one saccharide comprises or is at least one of sucrose, trehalose, lactose, or a mixture or combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the at least one saccharide in the freeze-dried hydrogel composition is in the range of 15-80 mol %.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the at least one amino acid in the freeze-dried hydrogel composition is in the range of 15-60 mol %.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the content of the at least one saccharide and the content of the at least one amino acid in the hydrogel composition and/or in the freeze-dried hydrogel composition is in the range of 10:1-1:5.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the residual water content of the freeze-dried hydrogel composition is at most 4 w-%.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one amino acid is glycine.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (11)