Provided are methods of producing an acellular organ. The method includes the steps of, subjecting an organ derived from an animal to a static supercritical fluid (SCF) treatment followed by a dynamic SCF treatment. Optionally, the method of the present disclosure further includes a hypertonic and a hypotonic treatments prior to the static SCF treatment, and/or a neutralizing treatment after the dynamic SCF treatment. Also disclosed herein are acellular organs produced by the present method.

A two-layer gradient coating article is provided that is operable to cause selective adhesion and directional migration of endothelial cells. The first layer includes cell-resisting polymers that repels cells, the second layer includes one layer of peptides that has affinity to and binds specifically to endothelial cells. Furthermore, the peptides are distributed in a gradient, in which attached ECs migrate towards the direction of increased concentration, thus enriching the ECs to a desired locus. The combination of a cell-repelling layer and a graded affinity peptide produces a unique result of selective adhesion, directional migration, thus local enrichment of endothelial cells. A method for using such gradient coating article and its potential use in treating cardiovascular diseases are also provided. The invention provides an inexpensive, stable and effective means for attracting ECs to desirable locations.

In one embodiment, an implantable prosthetic valve can comprise an annular frame comprising an inflow end and an outflow end and being radially collapsible and expandable between a radially collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration, and a leaflet structure positioned within the frame and secured thereto. The prosthetic valve can further comprise an outer skirt positioned around an outer surface of the frame, the outer skirt comprising pericardial tissue having a fibrous parietal layer defining a first surface of the outer skirt and a serous parietal layer defining a second surface of the outer skirt, the pericardial tissue having been fixed by cross-linking.

This invention is directed to polymer-permeated grafts and methods of making and using the same.

The present invention relates to a mesh or membrane covering (2) based on biological material, for example collagen, or biosynthetic material for prostheses (1), in particular for a breast prosthesis (1), said prosthesis (1) having a rear surface that, when applied, is faced towards the person on whom (1) is applied, said covering (2) being characterized in that it provides a fixing system (4; 3) for fixing to said prosthesis (1), said fixing system providing a plurality of teeth or petals (4) or outer perimeter edge foldable on said rear surface of the prosthesis (1) by means (5). The invention further relates to a method for fixing said covering to a prosthesis, a prosthesis comprising said covering and a process for making said covering.

The present invention relates to preparation and use of biocompatible and electrically conductive 3D hydrogels comprising nanocellulose fibrils, such as disintegrated bacterial nanocellulose, plant derived nanocellulose, tunicate derived nanocellulose, or algae derived nanocellulose, together with carbon nanotubes or graphene oxide, as a biocompatible and conductive 3D hydrogel for diagnostics and intervention to mimic or restore tissue and organ function. Biocompatible conductive 3D hydrogels described in this invention can be extruded, casted or injected. The 3D hydrogels described in this invention are cohesive 3D structures and provide electrical conductivity in wet form. 3D hydrogels described in this invention can be further crosslinked using divalent ions such as Calcium ions which improve mechanical stability. Such crosslinking can take place in an animal or human body in a physiological environment after injection into the tissue. 3D hydrogels are biocompatible and show preferable mechanical properties and electrical conductivity through printed lines (4.10.sup.1 S cm.sup.1). The 3D hydrogels prepared by this invention are suited as bioassays to screen drugs against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, study brain function, and/or be used to link the human brain with electronic and/or communication devices. They can also be injected to replace neural tissue or stimulate guiding of neural cells. They can also be used to inject into the heart and stimulate the heart by using electrical signaling or to repair myocardial infarction.

An optical method for determining collagen bundle orientation in bovine pericardium includes the use of a system having a light source which transmits light through a first polarizer, a tissue for making a prosthetic valve leaflet, and a second polarizer, where the light then illuminates a detector plate. The light that illuminates the detector plate is used to determine the orientation of collagen fiber bundles. The orientation of the collagen fiber bundles is used to determine where to cut the leaflet edges.

The present disclosure relates to methods for recellularization of valves in valve-bearing veins. This method is useful for producing an allogeneic venous valve, wherein a donor valve-bearing vein is decellularized and then recellularized using whole blood or bone marrow stem cells. The allogeneic valves produced by the methods disclosed herein are advantageous for implantation, transplantation, or grafting into patients with vascular diseases.

The present invention is directed to vascular tissue constructs or vessels and methods for producing vascular tissue constructs or vessels (ie., fabricated blood vessels), including veins, arteries, capillaries and other vascular structures from a biomaterial foundation or scaffold and epicardial progenitor cells (EPCs) which are seeded onto the biomaterial, exposed to a differentiation medium and differentiated into endothelial, cells, smooth muscle cells and pericytes which self-assemble into vascular tissue associated with N the biomaterial foundation or scaffold.

The present invention solves the following problems [1] to [3] found in conventional methods of preparing a three dimensional structure (organ primordium) by coculturing functional cells with umbilical cord-derived vascular endothelial cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells: [1] the quality of resultant organ primordia varies greatly depending on donors; [2] the growth capacities of cell sources are limited; and [3] it is difficult to secure immunocompatibility because cells are derived from different sources. An organ bud prepared from vascular cells, mesenchymal cells and tissue or organ cells, wherein each of the vascular cell, the mesenchymal cell and the tissue or organ cell has been induced from pluripotent stem cells. A method of preparing an organ bud, comprising culturing vascular cells, mesenchymal cells and tissue or organ cells in vitro, wherein each of the vascular cell, the mesenchymal cell and the tissue or organ cell has been induced from pluripotent stem cells.