Compounds comprising R-G-Cysteic Acid (i.e., R-G-NHCH(CH.sub.2SO.sub.3H)COOH or Arg-Gly-NHCH(CH.sub.2SO.sub.3H)COOH) and derivatives thereof, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates, stereoisomers, multimers, cyclic forms, linear forms, drug-conjugates, pro-drugs and their derivatives. Also disclosed are methods for making and using such compounds including methods for inhibiting cellular adhesion to RGD binding sites or delivering other diagnostic or therapeutic agents to RGD binding sites in human or animal subjects.

Polymer devices are disclosed with microstructured surfaces that modify their absorption pathway. Polymers which generally degrade in water by fracturing into high surface energy fragments, are modified to degrade in vivo without the formation of sharp fragments. Devices are disclosed that possess improved handling characteristics and degrade in an aqueous environment in a uniform and continuous way that favors the formation of soluble monomers rather than solid particulate. Absorbable medical implants with the disclosed surface modifications are more biocompatible, with reduced foreign body response, and dissolution into metabolizable molecular species.

The present invention provides polypeptide-polymer conjugates. A subject polypeptide-polymer conjugate is useful in a variety of applications, which are also provided.

Implantable biocompatible polymeric medical devices include a substrate with an acid or base-modified surface which is subsequently modified to include click reactive members.

A system for delivery of medication in treatment of disorders of the pelvis is disclosed. The system includes a medicament applied to an implantable device and an insertion tool. The implantable device has a first end opposite from a second end, with the first end of the implantable device insertable into tissue within the pelvis. A retrieval string is coupled to the second end of the implantable device. The insertion tool includes a shaft extending between a proximal end and a distal end, with a handle coupled to the proximal end of the insertion tool and the distal end of the insertion tool is adapted to couple with the implantable device. The handle includes a notch adapted to releasably secure the retrieval string.

Methods and materials for mitigating biological tissue adhesion are described herein. One method for mitigating adhesion to a biological tissue includes administering an effective amount of a self-assembling peptide solution to the biological tissue, wherein the self-assembling peptide is between about 7 amino acids and 32 amino acids in length and the self-assembling peptide solution forms a hydrogel under physiological conditions.

Methods and materials for mitigating biological tissue adhesion are described herein. One method for mitigating adhesion to a biological tissue includes administering an effective amount of a self-assembling peptide solution to the biological tissue, wherein the self-assembling peptide is between about 7 amino acids and 32 amino acids in length and the self-assembling peptide solution forms a hydrogel under physiological conditions.

An orthodontic adhesive includes components capable of allowing easy debonding of an orthodontic device from a patient's tooth. The adhesive includes an engineered marine mussel protein. The adhesive may include at least one photocleavable moiety. The adhesive is applied in one or more individual layers. One of the components of the adhesive is capable of binding to a tooth and the other component may be capable of binding to an orthodontic device. A method of adhering an orthodontic device to a tooth includes applying a layer of an orthodontic adhesive to either the tooth or the orthodontic device or the tooth and the orthodontic device and affixing the orthodontic device to the tooth with the orthodontic adhesive situated between the tooth and the orthodontic device. The engineered marine mussel protein includes one or more catechol moieties or one or more derivatives of a catechol moiety.

An orthodontic adhesive includes components capable of allowing easy debonding of an orthodontic device from a patient's tooth. The adhesive includes an engineered marine mussel protein. The adhesive may include at least one photocleavable moiety. The adhesive is applied in one or more individual layers. One of the components of the adhesive is capable of binding to a tooth and the other component may be capable of binding to an orthodontic device. A method of adhering an orthodontic device to a tooth includes applying a layer of an orthodontic adhesive to either the tooth or the orthodontic device or the tooth and the orthodontic device and affixing the orthodontic device to the tooth with the orthodontic adhesive situated between the tooth and the orthodontic device. The engineered marine mussel protein includes one or more catechol moieties or one or more derivatives of a catechol moiety.

Described is an object surface coating comprising one or more polymers and a peptide covalently linked to at least one of said one or more polymers, said peptide comprising a) a first cleavage site, wherein said first cleavage site is cleaved by a first compound specifically provided by a microbe belonging to a first group consisting of a limited number of microbial strains, species or genera, and not cleaved by any compound provided by any microbe not belonging to said first group, b) a first fluorescent agent having an emission wavelength of 650-900 nm, c) a first non-fluorescent agent having an absorption wavelength of 650-900 nm, for quenching said emission of said first fluorescent agent, wherein cleavage of said first cleavage site results in the release of said first non-fluorescent agent from the coating, the release of said first non-fluorescent agent being indicative for the presence of a microbe belonging to said first group.