人工合成的抗凍甘油蛋白質能夠在低達零下15度的溫度下保護紅細胞。

在抗凍甘油蛋白質分子存在的情況下，溶血速度大大降低。實際上，紅細胞在合成抗凍甘油蛋白質溶液中，在零下15度的條件下保存9個小時，有98%的紅細胞完好無損。而沒有使用合成抗凍甘油蛋白質保護的紅細胞暴露于這個溫度的話，則完全被破壞了。

在過去50年中的研究顯示：在極端氣候下生存的魚類、昆蟲、植物以及爬行類動物中發現的天然抗凍甘油蛋白質，能夠在低于0度的條件下保護細胞、組織以及器官。實驗證實，合成抗凍甘油蛋白質能夠發揮與天然抗凍甘油蛋白質相同的功能。合成抗凍甘油蛋白質是由Jean-Charles Quirion 博士發明的，正在由ProtoKinetix公司進行商品化。Quirion博士是該公司科學顧問委員會的成員。

ProtoKinetix公司總裁John Todd博士指出：“這種分子業已證實的穩定性和無毒性，包括保護細胞的能力，是非常令人鼓舞的。盡管保護各種各樣細胞、組織以及器官的測試正在進行之中，ProtoKinetix公司現在覺得這是一個開始商業化探索的合適時機?！?BR> 
New Way to Preserve Blood, Tissues
 
Synthesized antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) have shown the ability to protect red blood cells at temperatures down to -15o C.

The rate of hemolysis was dramatically reduced with the presence of the AFGP molecule. In fact, 98% of red blood cells were intact after being subjected to a temperature of -15o C for nine hours in a solution of synthetic AFGP. The red blood cells that were not protected by the synthetic AFGP were all destroyed when exposed to this temperature.

Research over the last 50 years has shown that natural AFGPs found in extreme-climate fish, insects, plants, and reptiles can preserve cells, tissues, and organs at sub-zero temperatures. Experiments prove that the synthetic AFGP functions in the same way as does the naturally occurring AFGP. The synthetic AFGP was developed by Dr. Jean-Charles Quirion and is being commercialized by ProtoKinetix, Inc. (Vancouver, Canada). Dr. Quirion is a member of the company’s scientific advisory board.

“The proven stability and nontoxicity of this molecule, in addition to the ability to preserve cells, is very encouraging,” noted Dr. John Todd, president ProtoKinetix. “Although testing will be ongoing with the preservation of various cells, tissues, and organs, ProtoKinetix now feels that it is in a position to commence commercial exploitation.”