• - After one hour, only 0.18% of standard ATP remained, whereas 27.4% of polymeric ATP was retained.
• - Functional recovery confirmed in cryopreserved cardiomyocytes and harvested rat hearts stored at low temperatures.
• - Research findings published in the Chemical Engineering Journal—ranked in the top 4% of the field of chemical engineering.

[Photo] From left: Professor Han-Chang Kang (College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea), Principal Researcher Sun-Woong Kang (National Institute of Toxicological Research), and Professor Ha-Na Jo (Soonchunhyang University).

A research team led by Professor Han-Chang Kang of the College of Pharmacy at The Catholic University of Korea—in collaboration with a team led by Principal Researcher Sun-Woong Kang of the National Institute of Toxicological Research and a team led by Professor Ha-Na Jo of Soonchunhyang University—has proposed a strategy to facilitate the functional recovery of cardiomyocytes and hearts following low-temperature or cryopreservation. This approach utilizes "polymeric ATP" (poly-ATP)—a chain-like structure of ATP, the primary energy source for cells.

While preserving cells and organs at low temperatures reduces energy consumption, it is difficult to prevent the energy depletion and functional decline that occur during the preservation and recovery phases. The heart, in particular, requires a continuous supply of energy; consequently, even if the cells survive, they may fail to fully regain their normal electrical activity and contractile function. Previous attempts to address this by supplying ATP from an external source have been limited, as ATP tends to degrade rapidly outside of cells.

To overcome this limitation, the research team utilized polymeric ATP, created by chemically linking multiple ATP molecules together. The research team verified that ATP retains its biological activity even in a polymeric form and remains available for use for a longer duration than conventional (monomeric) ATP. Furthermore, they discovered that polymeric ATP can be broken down into smaller molecules by specific enzymes, suggesting its potential as an enzyme-responsive, ATP-based material.

When ATP activity was measured in the presence of serum, only 0.18% of the initial activity remained for conventional ATP after one hour, whereas 27.4% was retained by the polymeric ATP. This demonstrates that polymerization can significantly extend the duration for which detectable ATP activity is maintained.

This difference was also observed in the recovery of function following storage. In cardiomyocytes cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen for seven days, the group treated with polymeric ATP showed a higher proportion of cells that recovered spontaneous electrical activity compared to the group treated with conventional ATP. Additionally, in experiments involving hearts harvested from mice—stored at 2–8°C for one hour and subsequently evaluated via perfusion—polymeric ATP significantly improved the recovery of key cardiac functional indicators, such as left ventricular pressure and the rates of contraction and relaxation. In contrast, the effects of conventional ATP were limited.

[Figure] Conceptual diagram of a strategy for restoring cardiac function after storage using polymeric ATP (poly-ATP)

The research team also found that the activity of ATP-degrading enzymes in mouse heart tissue is approximately 35 times higher than that in three-dimensional cardiomyocyte aggregates. This suggests that when designing an ATP supply strategy, one must consider not only the total amount of ATP provided but also the tissue's actual capacity to break down ATP and the duration for which the ATP remains in a usable state.

This study is significant in that it extends previous research conducted at the cellular level to an isolated heart model, demonstrating that ATP polymerization can contribute to the recovery of organ function following preservation. It holds potential as a material to supplement organ preservation solutions and cell preservation technologies used in regenerative medicine; however, its efficacy during long-term preservation and in actual transplantation settings requires further investigation.

Professor Han-Chang Kang and Principal Researcher Seon-Woong Kang served as co-corresponding authors of the paper, while Professor Ha-Na Jo (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Soonchunhyang University) and Researcher Hye-Eun Shim (National Institute of Toxicology) served as co-first authors.

This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Korea Regenerative Medicine Development Project, and the National Institute of Toxicology. The findings were published online on September 13, 2026, in the Chemical Engineering Journal, an international academic journal in the field of chemical engineering (ranking in the top 4% of the field, with an impact factor (IF) of 12.5).