The present invention relates to a novel acellular artificial skin substitute or scaffolds comprising biopolymer and bioactive components and the process of preparing said artificial skin substitute. The novel artificial foam-based skin substitute scaffold of the present invention addresses the problems in the prior art by providing a biocompatible, biodegradable, Non-immunogenic, non-irritant and a cost-effective scaffold.

Disclosed herein are vaccine compostions and method to use the same. The compositions and methods disclosed herein provide means to prevent and/or treat a variety of cancers.

Disclosed herein are vaccine compostions and method to use the same. The compositions and methods disclosed herein provide means to prevent and/or treat a variety of cancers.

Compositions or an assembly of a series of biomimetic compounds include chemical structures that mimic or structurally resemble a nucleic acid base pair. Complexes of nanotubes and agents are useful to deliver agents into the cells or bodily tissues of individuals for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Exemplary compounds include those of Formula (I), (III), (V) or (VII), or of Formula (II), (IV), (VI) or (VIII). ##STR00001##

Compositions or an assembly of a series of biomimetic compounds include chemical structures that mimic or structurally resemble a nucleic acid base pair. Complexes of nanotubes and agents are useful to deliver agents into the cells or bodily tissues of individuals for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Exemplary compounds include those of Formula (I), (III), (V) or (VII), or of Formula (II), (IV), (VI) or (VIII). ##STR00001##

A method of treating a spinal disk according to the present invention can include inserting an alloplastic bulking agent into the spinal disk to treat the defect. The alloplastic bulking agent has a plurality of microparticles and a suspending agent comprising hyaluronic acid. The bulking agent results in at least one of sealing the defect, increasing a pressure of the disk, increasing a height of the disk, improving stability of the disk and improving structural integrity of the disk.

A method of treating a spinal disk according to the present invention can include inserting an alloplastic bulking agent into the spinal disk to treat the defect. The alloplastic bulking agent has a plurality of microparticles and a suspending agent comprising hyaluronic acid. The bulking agent results in at least one of sealing the defect, increasing a pressure of the disk, increasing a height of the disk, improving stability of the disk and improving structural integrity of the disk.

Methods of entrapping enzymes in chitosan matrices using mild conditions, such as methods that are compatible with the entrapment of acid-sensitive and/or heat sensitive enzymes, are described. The methods can provide biocatalytic materials with high chitosan to enzyme mass ratios where one or more enzymes can remain active and stably entrapped in the chitosan matrix for many months and/or after repeated washings. Also described are materials including a solid chitosan matrix having at least one enzyme stably entrapped therein, including fabrics, textiles and other flexible materials at least partially coated with one or more layer of the solid chitosan matrix having at least one enzyme stably entrapped therein and the use of the materials as biocatalyst systems, for example in biogas upgrading and other applications.

Methods of entrapping enzymes in chitosan matrices using mild conditions, such as methods that are compatible with the entrapment of acid-sensitive and/or heat sensitive enzymes, are described. The methods can provide biocatalytic materials with high chitosan to enzyme mass ratios where one or more enzymes can remain active and stably entrapped in the chitosan matrix for many months and/or after repeated washings. Also described are materials including a solid chitosan matrix having at least one enzyme stably entrapped therein, including fabrics, textiles and other flexible materials at least partially coated with one or more layer of the solid chitosan matrix having at least one enzyme stably entrapped therein and the use of the materials as biocatalyst systems, for example in biogas upgrading and other applications.

A method of treating a lesion in a gastrointestinal tract and an injectate system are provided. The method includes injecting a crosslinkable gel into a first tissue layer, the crosslinkable gel increasing a volume of the first tissue layer. The method also includes providing a crosslinker and resecting a portion of a first tissue layer having the increased volume away from a second tissue layer creating an exposed region in a remaining portion of the first layer and leaving a portion of the gel covering at least a portion of the exposed region. The injectate system includes a crosslinkable gel and a crosslinker where the crosslinkable gel and the crosslinker form a crosslinked gel having a compressive modulus of about 10-500 kPa.