Disclosed herein is a composition comprising a crosslinked hydrogel; where the hydrogel comprises a polymer having a cleavable bond along a backbone of the polymer, along a substituent that undergoes crosslinking, or along the backbone of the polymer and along the substituent that undergoes crosslinking; where the cleavable bond is operative to be cleaved by an enzyme released in the body of a living being; and a semiconducting quantum dot that emits light in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The present disclosure discloses a method for extracting epidermal cells. The method includes soaking skin tissues in a digestive juice, and obtaining an epidermal cell suspension through alternate use of a high-temperature digestion condition and a low-temperature digestion condition. The method can be used for clinical research or treatment of burns, scalds, pigmentation and hypopigmentation, ulcers, aesthetic dermatology and the like. Through adjusting the digestion conditions of the skin tissues, the method separate the epidermis from the dermis within a relatively short time, and have the advantages of extracting epidermal cells in large amount, high survival rate and high activity. The extracted epidermal cells are applicable to various clinical indications.

The present invention relates to RNAi constructs with improved tissue and cellular uptake characteristics and methods of use of these compounds in dermal applications.

The invention provides compounds, compositions, and methods for the treatment of diseases, disorders, or conditions that are modulated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The disease, disorder, or condition can include, for example, stroke, neurological disorders, or ophthalmological disorders. The treatment can include administering a compound or composition described herein, thereby providing a prodrug compound that metabolizes to an active MMP inhibitor in vivo. The MMP inhibition can be selective inhibition, for example, selective inhibition of MMP-2, MMP-9, and/or MMP-14. Thus, the invention provides non-mutagenic prodrug compounds of the formulas described herein that result in the inhibition of MMPs upon in vivo administration.

The present invention provides a composition for delivering a polynucleotide into cells via a polyplex. The polyplex comprises the polynucleotide and a polymer. The composition comprises the polyplex, a collagen-mimetic peptide (CMP) and collagen fragments. The CMP is bound to the polyplex and the collagen fragments. Also provided are the uses of the composition in methods of delivering a polynucleotide into cells as well as methods of improving wound healing in a subject, enhancing cell proliferation in a subject, enhancing production of extracellular matrix by cells in a subject and/or enhancing cell migration by cells in a subject.

Methods and combinations are provided for controlling the duration of action, in vivo, of matrix-degrading enzymes. The methods and combinations permit temporary in-vivo activation of matrix-degrading enzymes upon administration to the extra cellular matrix (or ECM). Matrix-degrading enzymes having a controlled duration of action can be used to treat ECM-mediated diseases or disorders characterized by increased deposition or accumulation of one or more ECM components.

The present invention claims a novel process for the production and purification of microbial collagenase (Microbial Collagenase EC 3.4.24.3) produced by the non-pathogenic aerobic bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus chemovar. iophagus (NCIMB Number: 11038, synonym LMG 3418, hereinafter called Vibrio alginolyticus), which said process provides high production levels of collagenase with a stable, reproducible, cheap fermentation process. The collagenase produced from Vibrio alginolyticus according to the process described herein also presents a specific activity superior to that of other microbial collagenases, is stable in aqueous solution, and can be frozen without significant damage. A further subject of the present invention is pharmaceutical compositions containing collagenase obtained according to the production and purification process described, for the purpose of therapeutic treatment of disorders characterised by collagen accumulation or for the treatment of blemishes/imperfections that benefit from reducing local collagen accumulations.

The present disclosure provides a delivery system comprising (i) a physiologically acceptable carrier and (ii) a proteolytic enzyme or effector thereof for use in a method for relaxing fibers within a subject's oral cavity. In some embodiments, the relaxation is for use in tooth manipulation (particularly repositioning). In some embodiments, the method involves the use of the proteolytic enzyme or effector thereof at a concentration effective to cause relaxation of fibers between the tooth's alveolar bone and gingiva while maintaining integrity of the fibers surrounding the tooth. Also disclosed herein are methods for fiber relaxation and/or repositioning of tooth making use of the proteolytic enzyme or effector thereof.

A debridement enzyme for necrotic tissue is described that is not dependent upon proteolytic enzymatic activity but instead utilizes the amylase family of enzymes. The amylases (-, -, -amylase) are noted for the cleavage of the -glycosidic bonds of polysaccharides, yielding lower molecular weight carbohydrate/sugar fragments. It has now been found that -amylase is effective in the debridement of devitalized tissue.

Multiple treatment regimens for vascular-related diseases and disorders. Methods of treating vascular-related disorders based on gene expression studies from samples collected from individuals having symptoms of vascular-related disorders. Additionally, methods for diagnostic techniques to focus treatment regimens. Finally, methods of treating vascular-related disorders involving targeting microRNAs.