How to Store Exosomes and hUCT-MSC Vials: A Cold-Chain Receiving Guide for Licensed Practices
Liquid frozen exosome products should be moved into a −80 °C freezer the moment they arrive, and hUCT-MSC vials belong in liquid nitrogen (preferred) or a −80 °C cryo freezer. A standard −20 °C freezer or a refrigerator is not a substitute for either one. Dry ice in a shipping cooler is temporary storage only and generally lasts less than 48 hours, so the most important part of storage happens in the first few minutes after the package is delivered.
Most product-integrity problems we hear about do not start at the lab or in transit. They start at the front desk: a cooler that sat in a mailroom over lunch, a vial placed in the wrong freezer, or a freezer that was never checked before the order arrived. This guide covers what to have ready before you order, what to do on delivery day, and how to store each product type afterward.
Storage Requirements by Product Type
Different biologics have different storage requirements. Use this table as a quick reference, and confirm the conditions on each product's label and COA.
| Product type | Ships | Store on arrival | Not acceptable |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Liquid frozen exosomes (e.g., 3DExo+ 77B, Dermal Papillary Secretome Matrix+ 150B) |
Frozen on dry ice | −80 °C freezer | −20 °C freezer, refrigerator, room temperature |
|
hUCT-MSC vials (25M and 10M) |
Frozen on dry ice | Liquid nitrogen (preferred) or −80 °C cryo freezer | −20 °C freezer, refrigerator, refreezing after thaw |
|
NovaRenew 2-Step System (topical secretome kit) |
Cold | Refrigerated (2–8 °C) or frozen, per label | Room temperature for extended periods |
|
Lyophilized (freeze-dried) exosome products (other suppliers) |
Usually room temperature | Per the manufacturer's label | Conditions outside the label |
Before You Order: Is Your Practice Ready?
Frozen biologics are only as reliable as the equipment they go into. Confirm each of these before placing your first order.
A −80 °C freezer, not a −20 °C freezer
An ultra-low-temperature (ULT) freezer is required for liquid frozen exosomes. A standard medical or pharmacy freezer typically runs around −20 °C, which is not the same thing. Check the actual set point and display, not just the label on the door.
Liquid nitrogen or a −80 °C cryo freezer for hUCT-MSC
Liquid nitrogen storage is the preferred method for hUCT-MSC vials. A −80 °C cryo freezer is acceptable. If you use liquid nitrogen, confirm your dewar is filled and on a regular refill schedule.
Temperature monitoring and an alarm
Use a continuous temperature monitor with an alert that reaches a staff phone after hours. A freezer failure discovered Monday morning is a weekend of lost inventory.
Backup power or a backup plan
Know what happens to your ULT freezer during a power outage, and identify where inventory can go if the freezer fails.
A named receiver
Assign one or two staff members who know a frozen shipment is coming, where it goes, and that it cannot wait. Make sure the front desk knows to hand the package to them immediately.
Delivery Day: The First 15 Minutes
Stem Nova Network ships biologics Monday through Wednesday so frozen packages do not sit in a carrier facility over a weekend. Once a package leaves the facility, what happens next is in the hands of the carrier and the receiving practice. On delivery day:
- Bring the package inside right away. A cooler left at a door, loading dock, or mailroom keeps losing dry ice.
- Open it in a ventilated area and check for dry ice. Use insulated gloves. Note whether dry ice is still present.
- Move vials into storage immediately. Exosomes go to the −80 °C freezer. hUCT-MSC vials go to liquid nitrogen or the −80 °C cryo freezer. Do not leave product in the shipping cooler "for later."
- Log it. Record the delivery time, the time product went into storage, lot numbers, and quantities.
- Photograph anything that looks wrong before moving it, including the outer box, inner packaging, and vials.
- Match lot numbers to the COA and file the COA with your inventory records.
After Storage: Protecting What You Have
Avoid temperature cycling
Every time a freezer door stays open, or a box of vials is pulled out to find one vial, the inventory warms slightly. Store vials in labeled racks or boxes, organize by lot and expiration date, and take out only what you need.
Do not refreeze thawed hUCT-MSC vials
Once an hUCT-MSC vial has been thawed, it should not be refrozen. Plan usage so vials stay frozen until they are needed.
Rotate by expiration
Use the oldest lot first and keep an eye on expiration dates on the label and COA. Ordering more than you can realistically use before expiration is one of the most common sources of avoidable waste.
Keep the paperwork with the product
Keep each lot's COA, your receiving log, and your freezer temperature records together. If a question ever comes up about a lot, that documentation is what answers it.
Common Storage Mistakes
- Using a −20 °C freezer because it was already in the clinic.
- Leaving the cooler unopened until the end of the day, or overnight.
- Accepting a delivery when no trained staff are on site, such as a late Friday or a day the clinic is closed.
- Storing vials in the freezer door, where temperature swings are largest.
- No temperature alarm, so a failure goes unnoticed for days.
- Losing track of lot numbers after vials leave the original packaging.
Stem Nova Network biologics are manufactured in the USA in an FDA-registered facility under cGTP-compliant standards (21 CFR Part 1271), ship frozen on dry ice, and include lot-specific, dual-lab COA documentation. For ship days, receiving requirements, and responsibility for shipments in transit, see our Shipping Policy and Refund, Returns & Claims Policy.
Order with Confidence
Licensed practices can view pricing, lot-specific COAs, and NTA reports after credential verification. Most applications are reviewed within 24 hours.
Apply for Wholesale Access → Contact Our TeamFrequently Asked Questions
Do exosomes need to be frozen?
Liquid exosome products do. They are shipped frozen on dry ice and should be stored in a −80 °C freezer immediately on arrival. Lyophilized (freeze-dried) exosome products are a different format and are usually stored according to the manufacturer's label, often at room temperature or refrigerated.
Can I store exosomes in a regular −20 °C freezer?
No. A −20 °C freezer is not a substitute for a −80 °C freezer. Liquid frozen exosome products are labeled for −80 °C storage, and published studies on extracellular vesicle storage have generally found −80 °C preserves particle count and vesicle structure better than −20 °C.
How should hUCT-MSC vials be stored?
Liquid nitrogen is the preferred storage method for hUCT-MSC vials, and a −80 °C cryo freezer is acceptable. Move vials into storage immediately on arrival, and do not refreeze a vial once it has been thawed.
How long does dry ice last in a shipping cooler?
Dry ice is temporary storage only and generally lasts less than 48 hours, depending on the amount packed, the cooler, and outside temperatures. That is why frozen biologics ship early in the week and should be moved into a freezer as soon as they are delivered.
How long do frozen exosomes last?
Follow the expiration date on the product label and lot-specific COA. Shelf life depends on the product and on storing it continuously at the labeled temperature. Temperature cycling and freezer failures shorten usable life, so monitoring matters as much as the freezer itself.
What happens if no one is at the clinic when the package arrives?
The package keeps losing dry ice until someone moves the product into storage. Under Stem Nova Network's Shipping Policy, risk passes to the practice once the package leaves our facility, and we are not responsible for packages left outside or product not moved to proper storage on delivery. Plan receiving before you order.