By Anthony Oliva, PhD
Updated October 08, 2026
Cryopreservation is the process of freezing cells to temperatures at which metabolic activity is effectively suspended, then safely storing them at those temperatures over time. The process involves two distinct stages: bringing the cells down to the appropriate temperature under controlled conditions and maintaining them in long-term cryogenic storage.
How does cryopreservation work?
Cells are frozen under controlled conditions and held at minus 196 degrees Celsius until requested by the client’s physician.
At that temperature, there is no metabolic activity. The cells are dormant and do not age, which is why a cell stored for twenty years remains in the same condition as when it was first stored. Those cells arrive at the laboratory as a small tissue sample, and how the collection works covers everything that happens before this point.
Why the temperature matters more than the number
Storage temperatures can vary by a few degrees, and minus 196 degrees Celsius is the standard for stem cell cryopreservation. The margin matters more than the exact reading: at that temperature there is no metabolic activity, and a few degrees of variation does not change that.
How long can cells stay frozen?
At cryogenic temperatures, cells are metabolically inactive. They remain dormant rather than continuing to age, which is why properly cryopreserved cells have no known storage-time limit.
Your cells stay banked for as long as the annual banking fee is maintained, which is $350 a year from year two onward. What the processing fee covers, and what is billed separately, breaks down those costs.
What happens to your sample while it is in storage?
Cells are safely stored at cryogenic temperatures under conditions designed to maintain their integrity and quality.
Cells pass all contamination testing prior to cryopreservation, including testing for endotoxin, mycoplasma, and aerobic and anaerobic contamination. Laboratory technicians monitor storage conditions around the clock for the life of the sample, and the sample is tested and cleared for sterility once more before anything is released.
ACT also works at low passages, which means your cells are processed and stored in optimal conditions.
Where the cells are stored
The cells are stored at American Cell Technology’s own laboratory, which is FDA registered and inspected and operates under current Good Tissue Practice. Cells are held in cryogenic storage tanks, monitored around the clock.
How do you know the cells are still alive?
The cells are counted twice, with the second count performed right before they leave the facility.
Every vial ACT banks holds 10 million live mesenchymal stem cells, counted and confirmed viable before freezing. ACT’s freezing technique is validated, and the second count serves as an additional precaution to confirm the live cell count.
Thawing happens at the bank, not at the point of use. ACT thaws the cells, confirms the live cell count, and prepares them for shipment on regular ice, ready for use by the physician. This allows us to provide a confirmed live cell count before the cells leave the facility, which would not be possible if they were shipped frozen. It also removes a handling step for the physician.
Getting your cells when you need them
Three weeks’ notice under the standard arrangement, or within 48 hours if you have a prepaid Bio-Insurance plan, where the cells have already been grown and tested in advance. What happens after that is decided with your physician. If you are still weighing whether any of this is worth doing, the myths article (page rewritten, slug kept, not yet live) takes the common objections one at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Can cells be damaged by being frozen?
Only if they are not handled properly, which is why it matters to work with a reputable laboratory with validated quality controls. ACT uses a controlled freezing process to manage the rate of cooling.
Does storage time affect quality?
No. At cryogenic temperatures the cells are metabolically inactive, so time does not act on them.
What does storage cost?
The annual banking fee is $350 a year from year two onward, with the first year included in the processing fee.
How quickly can I receive my cells?
Initial processing takes about six weeks from collection. After that, the basic plan requires three weeks’ notice, while a prepaid Bio-Insurance plan provides access within 48 hours.
This blog is for educational purposes only. American Cell Technology does not provide medical advice or make claims. Please consult your physician with any medical questions.
