A scaffold-free nerve conduit and a method of making the scaffold-free nerve conduit are provided. A nerve-repair method using the scaffold-free nerve conduit also is provided.

The invention relates to a cell sheet construct for neurovascular reconstruction. The cell sheet construct has a vascular endothelial cell layer and a neural stem cell layer, and the two layers are physically in direct contact with each other, where the vascular endothelial cell layer forms branching vasculatures, and the neural stem cell layer differentiates into neurons. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the cell sheet construct, having the following steps: culturing vascular endothelial cells on a substrate to form a vascular endothelial cell layer, seeding neural stem cells on the vascular endothelial cell layer to make the neural stem cells be physically in direct contact with the vascular endothelial cell layer, and culturing the neural stem cells and the vascular endothelial cell layer to differentiate into neurons and branching vasculatures to form a cell sheet construct.

The present disclosure describes the use of nerve conduits as scaffolds for nerve regeneration, including spinal cord regeneration. The conduit may be hollow or contain a luminal filler such as agar or other biocompatible material.

A method of preparing a nerve graft includes submerging a nerve graft in a solution including FK506 and a solvent to promote incorporation of FK506 into the nerve graft. A tissue graft includes nerve tissue and FK506 incorporated within the nerve tissue. In the tissue graft, the FK506 is free of hydrogel and not encapsulated.

A method of preparing an implantable biomaterial includes combining a polymer comprising polydioxanone with a neuro-regenerative agent or an immunosuppressive agent comprising at least one immunophilin ligand, and melting the polymer. The method further includes extruding the combined polymer and the neuro-regenerative agent or immunosuppressive agent to form the implantable biomaterial.

Dural repair devices that are configured to effectively and reliably repair the damage of a dural tear due to incidental durotomies are provided, along with methods of use. The devices and methods enhance the ability of a surgeon to repair a patients dura mater, or dura, during surgery of the central nervous system. The dural repair device has a multi-layer structure configured to exert a pressure or tamponade effect to compress a patient's dura to its state prior to the spinal surgery. Thus, the dural repair devices and methods of use may reduce the patients risk morbidity, further surgery, spinal headaches, or other injuries and discomforts.

Methods for generating porous scaffolds may include tuning a porogen/crystallite's particle size to a desired range and mixing the crystallite particles with a polymer solution. The mixture is then cast to form films. The films are rolled and consolidated around another inner material to create a preform, which is then thermally drawn. The inner material and the porogen can be selectively removed to obtain porous constructs/fibers. The structures can be fuse-printed to produce complex tissue scaffolds with dimensions up to several centimeters and beyond.

A method and kit for stopping cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, comprising penetrating and passing through a dural tissue an applicator to access an interior dural space, injecting from the applicator a fibrinogen-containing solution into said dural space, applying a sealing member containing a fibrinogen polymerizing agent onto an exterior surface of the dural tissue, and forming a polymerized fibrinogen or polymerized fibrin clot by contacting the injected fibrinogen-containing solution and the fibrinogen polymerizing agent.

Discrete, individualized carbon nanotubes having targeted, or selective, oxidation levels and/or content on the interior and exterior of the tube walls are claimed. Such carbon nanotubes can have little to no inner tube surface oxidation, or differing amounts and/or types of oxidation between the tubes' inner and outer surfaces. These new discrete carbon nanotubes are useful in plasticizers, which can then be used as an additive in compounding and formulation of elastomeric, thermoplastic and thermoset composite for improvement of mechanical, electrical and thermal properties.

Disclosed are spheroidal hybrid biodegradable materials containing low dimensional manganese dioxide (MnO.sub.2) support structures and cells, methods of manufacture thereof, and methods of use thereof.