A German team reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that vitrification followed by a tailored thawing protocol preserved and restored measurable neuronal activity, metabolism and some plasticity in whole mouse brains. Lead author Alexander German at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg described recovery of neuronal firing and cellular function in vitrified tissue, advancing cryopreservation science. Authors caution results are an intermediate step: while brain tissue function was partially recoverable, translating the method to large organs or whole mammals faces significant technical and biological barriers.