What is cryopreservation of a human being like and how much does it cost?

Tomorrow Biostasis, a German company founded in 2019 by doctor Emil Kendziorra, is a pioneer in Europe in offering human cryopreservation services, a technique that promises to keep human bodies in a state of suspension until future science can revive them and possibly cure diseases. that led them to death.

Cryogenics, which has been used for years to preserve eggs, sperm and tissue, is now available to entire humans, provided they have a considerable sum of money. The process that Tomorrow Biostasis follows consists of three essential steps:

Immediate Cooling: As soon as the patient’s death is certified, his body is kept on ice to stop the decomposition process.

Vitrification: Blood is drained from the corpse and antifreeze substances are injected to prevent the formation of ice crystals that can damage tissues.

Storage: The body, now vitrified, is stored at extremely low temperatures, awaiting the time when science can revive it.

Emil Kendziorra, visionary behind Tomorrow Biostasis, has a clear mission: “To build a world where people can choose how long to live, regardless of where they are, who they are, and their financial resources.” The company already has four bodies in a state of cryopreservation and more than 400 people have hired its services, joining a growing global community that seeks to challenge the limits of mortality.

Since 1967, when the first human was cryopreserved, approximately 500 people have undergone this technique. Currently, 377 of these bodies remain in a state of suspended death, and around 5,000 people are registered to undergo treatment in the future. Major cryopreservation facilities are located in the United States, China and Russia, but Europe, led by Tomorrow Biostasis, is beginning to make its mark in this emerging field.

Human cryopreservation remains a field full of uncertainties. “Currently, it is not possible to revive a human being after being cryopreserved, but there is no fundamental biological reason why it cannot be revived,” Tomorrow Biostasis admits on its website. The company maintains that its patients will remain cryopreserved for as long as it takes for the technology to advance enough to make resuscitation possible, whether that be 50, 75, 100 years or more.

Hiring cryopreservation services with Tomorrow Biostasis is surprisingly simple. The company offers two types of plans: the preservation of the entire body for 200 thousand euros or just the brain for 60 thousand euros. Those interested must pay a monthly fee, which is around 50 euros, to cover a 24-hour guard that will assist the client immediately after their death to start the procedure in less than an hour.

The interested party completes a “plan calculator” in which he indicates his age, the type of cryopreservation preferred and the period in which he would like to be resuscitated. A sales representative is in touch to discuss the details and close the deal.

Human cryogenics, although fascinating, is surrounded by controversy. Critics point out that although cryopreservation is viable for cells and small tissues, applying the same technique to whole bodies is a monumental task that current medicine cannot solve. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential diversion of resources from more pressing public health issues to a technology whose success is not yet guaranteed.

Ethical questions are also abundant. Is it right to defy death in this way? What quality of life could a reanimated person have after centuries of being in a state of suspension? These questions do not have easy answers, and the scientific community is divided.

One of the most moving cases of cryopreservation is that of Matherym Naovaratpong, a two-year-old Asian girl who was cryopreserved in 2015 after a diagnosis of incurable brain cancer. Her parents, hoping that future medical advances could bring him back to life and cure her illness, chose to preserve only her brain. This case symbolizes both the hope and the controversies surrounding cryogenics, and reveals the deep questions about the future of this technology and the human desire to challenge the boundaries of mortality.

The advancement of human cryogenics will largely depend on progress in various areas of science, including biology, medicine, and technology. The ability to repair damage caused by cooling and thawing, regenerate tissues and organs, and reverse the causes of death will be crucial to the success of this technique. Meanwhile, the cryopreserved bodies rest in their ice capsules, awaiting an uncertain future but full of possibilities.