Described are fibrous materials comprising a plurality of fibers having a longitudinal alignment gradient and/or a longitudinal composition gradient. Also described are methods of preparing the fibrous materials thereof and methods of treating organ or tissue damage with the fibrous materials.

A method of treating radiation-induced skin toxicity or skin ulcers with nanoparticles after exposure to ionizing radiation and after an onset of radiation-induced skin toxicity or a radiation-induced skin ulcer by administering intravenously a suspension including fibrinogen-coated albumin nanospheres to a patient. A concentration of the suspension being sufficient to at least one of promote healing of the skin toxicity or reduce a size of the skin ulcer. The suspension can include fibrinogen-coated albumin nanospheres, sorbitol and/or caprylate. The suspension can be utilized for treating a patient to reduce an amount of blood loss in an organ of the patient or for treating a patient to mobilize stem cells or progenitor cells to accelerate healing of a wound.

The invention describes methods for producing a biphasic nanocomposite scaffold comprising custom polymer-based core-shelled nanospheres by the physical and chemical attachment of two disparate polymeric materials whose composition can be readily modified with tissue-specific nanomaterials and products created using such methods. The custom nanospheres are constructed via co-axial wet electrospraying and can be employed to deliver compounds to the polymeric materials.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides the use of microRNA (miR)-200a to inhibit ossification and bone formation.

The present invention is an inflatable balloon which is enclosed by an expandable cover which becomes increasingly porous/permeable during expansion. The balloon is coated or enclosed with a matrix which contains a pharmaceutically active agent. During expansion of the balloon, the pharmaceutically active agent is released or extruded through the expandable cover into a body cavity such as an artery or vein. The present invention also provides for a method of treating a disease or condition by delivering the inflatable balloon to a particular body cavity.

In one aspect, compositions and wound dressings are described herein. In some embodiments, a composition or wound dressing described herein comprises a mesh formed from a plurality of biodegradable polymer fibers; a first active agent dispersed in the biodegradable polymer fibers; a plurality of biodegradable polymer particles disposed in the mesh; and a second active agent dispersed in the biodegradable polymer particles. The particles can be disposed within the interiors of the fibers of the mesh or between the fibers of the mesh. In another aspect, a composition or wound dressing described herein comprises a first perforated mesh formed from a first plurality of biodegradable polymer fibers; and a second perforated mesh formed from a second plurality of biodegradable polymer fibers, wherein the second perforated mesh is disposed on the first perforated mesh in a stacked configuration and the first and second perforated meshes have different degrees of perforation.

A drug delivery balloon (10) has a drug thereon in the form of crystalline particles (12), the drug having a predetermined size distribution. Optionally marker particles (14, 16) are also provided. A texturized coating (18), a cap layer (20) and/or other methods may be used to increase particle loading capacity of the balloon.

The present invention relates to a nanocomposite ocular device that can release drugs within a close distance to the ocular surface and provide controlled and sustained release of the drug at a constant rate. The device can achieve both optical and medical functions. The device comprises a drug, one or more reservoir domains, and a barrier layer configured to block the drug diffusion paths from the reservoir domain to the ocular surface in the eye of the subject, wherein the drug partitions between the reservoir domain and the barrier layer, and the equilibrium drug solubility in the reservoir domain is at least five folds higher than that in the barrier layer.

A biomaterial implant may include a collagen membrane. The biomaterial implant may further include a plurality of nanoparticles embedded in the collagen membrane. Furthermore, at least one nanoparticle of the plurality of nanoparticles may include a polymer shell and a bio-active therapeutic agent encapsulated by the polymer shell.

A nanoparticle coated hydrogel may be formed by a method of electrospraying nanoparticles on to a surface includes providing a drug and polymer combination in solvent to an inner capillary of a coaxial dual capillary spray nozzle. A coating with a drug that releases over time may be provided. Open and closed matrixes may be selectively formed to help modify time release periods.