A device for treating a damaged tissue includes an expandable scaffold positionable in a portion of a luminal tissue structure of a mammal; and maintained via stent technology, wherein the scaffold is comprised of electrospun fibers composed of a biodegradable compound. The scaffold serves as a temporary template that allows the tissue to be rebuilt.

Compositions, peptide solutions and macroscopic scaffolds of self-assembling peptides consisting essentially of non-ionic, polar amino acids are provided. Particular peptides include those comprising or consisting essentially of serine, threonine, tyrosine, cysteine, glutamine, asparagine, methionine, tryptophan, hydroxy-proline, and combinations thereof. Methods of sterilizing the self-assembling peptides, and scaffolds comprising the peptides are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to cartilage repair compositions and methods for modifying the proteoglycan content of the compositions. Specifically, the methods relate to serum free, collagen free neocartilage made from chondrocytes that can be used for implants. Proteoglycans, such as aggrecan and sulfated glycosaminoglycan are used and the content modified using temperature changes.

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).

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The present invention involves implants suitable for surgical implantation into subjects. In some embodiments the implants comprise a biocompatible scaffold material and blood vessels containing engineered endothelial cells—such as E4ORF1+ engineered endothelial cells or engineered endothelial cells that express certain marker molecules. The present invention provides implants, methods for preparing such implants, and methods of treatment utilizing such implants.

A plurality of amphiphilic peptide chains having alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids, wherein the peptide contains at least 8 amino acids, are complementary and structurally compatible, and self-assemble into a beta-sheet macroscopic scaffold wherein peptide at least about 75% of the chains have the same sequence.

A microporous gel system for certain applications, including biomedical applications, includes an aqueous solution containing plurality of microgel particles including a biodegradable crosslinker. In some aspects, the microgel particles act as gel building blocks that anneal to one another to form a covalently-stabilized scaffold of microgel particles having interstitial spaces therein. In certain aspects, annealing of the microgel particles occurs after exposure to an annealing agent that is endogenously present or exogenously added. In some embodiments, annealing of the microgel particles requires the presence of an initiator such as exposure to light. In particular embodiments, the chemical and physical properties of the gel building blocks can be controlled to allow downstream control of the resulting assembled scaffold. In one or more embodiments, cells are able to quickly infiltrate the interstitial spaces of the assembled scaffold.

Hyaluronic acid and silk protein fragments based tissue fillers and methods of the same are provided herein.

An implantable medical product and method of use for substantially reducing or eliminating harsh biological responses associated with conventionally implanted medical devices, including inflammation, infection and thrombogenesis, when implanted in in a body of a warm blooded mammal. The bioremodelable pouch structure is configured and sized to receive, encase and retain an electrical medical device therein and to allow such device to be inserted into the internal region or cavity of the pouch structure; with the pouch structure formed from either: (a) first and second sheets, or (b) a single sheet having first and second sheet portions. After receiving the electrical device, the edges around the opening are closed by suturing or stapling. The medical device encased by the bioremodelable pouch structure effectively improves biological functions by promoting tissue regeneration, modulated healing of adjacent tissue or growth of new tissue when implanted in the body of the mammal.

Osteoconductive synthetic bone grafts are provided in which porous metallic matrices are loaded with an osteoinductive protein. In certain embodiments, the grafts include porous ceramic granules deposited within the matrices.