A biocompatible, biodegradable composite material, and method of using nanoparticles formed within the composite material for nerve repair are disclosed. The nanoparticles may not be formed until the glass degrades upon contact with a fluid in vivo or in vitro.

The present invention relates to a method for providing an embedded mammalian cell, comprising the steps of providing an alginate sulfate in aqueous solution; reacting the alginate sulfate to form a hydrogel in a gelation step, providing a precursor cell, and embedding the precursor cell in the sulfated alginate hydrogel in an embedding step, thus yielding an sulfated alginate hydrogel embedded cell. The invention further relates to sulfated alginate hydrogels, and cellular grafts comprising a mammalian cell embedded in sulfated alginate hydrogel.

Medical constructs with collagen fibers and gelatin and related collagen fibers. The collagen fibers can be derived from extruded soluble dermal collagen and can include a gelatin film attached to the at least one collagen fiber. The gelatin film can include one or more minerals and has a gelatin concentration of between about 0.1% to about 40% weight per volume.

The present invention provides novel compositions comprising multipotent cells or microvascular tissue, wherein the cells or tissue has been sterilized and/or treated to inactivated viruses, and related methods of using these compositions to treat or prevent tissue injury or disease in an allogeneic subject.

A method for producing an engineered tissue scaffold for neural repair is described. The method includes tethering a hydrogel matrix seeded with tension-generating cells to a frame, and allowing the tension-generating cells to generate tension within the matrix, such that the cells self-align. The matrix may then be at least partially dehydrated to form a sheet. The tension-generating cells are stem cells capable of differentiating into cells having Schwann-cell-like properties, or are derived from such stem cells. In preferred embodiments, the cells are neural stem cells, for example conditionally immortalized neural stem cells of fetal cortex origin.

1) A graft material for nerve regeneration characterizing by comprising collagen-based materials containing collagen having an orientation. 2) A method for producing a graft material for nerve regeneration comprising a step of immersing the collagen-based materials containing collagen having an orientation in a solution containing a collagen-binding site-containing growth factor comprising a receptor agonist peptide and a collagen-binding peptide and binding the collagen-binding site-containing growth factor to the collagen. 3) A kit for producing a graft material for nerve regeneration characterized by comprising collagen-based materials containing collagen having an orientation, and a collagen-binding site-containing growth factor comprising a receptor agonist peptide and a collagen-binding peptide.

A spinal cord device comprises a body formed of a biocompatible, biodegradable matrix and includes a proximal cranial surface and a distal caudal surface for connection to two ends of an injured spinal cord after removal of an injured section. The body has two sets of through channels A, B, C, D, E and F with openings in the cranial surface and the caudal surface for connection of descending motor pathways from cranial white to caudal gray matter and ascending sensory pathways from caudal white to cranial gray matter of the two spinal cord ends. The device has a transversal diameter (D.sub.t) within a range of from 9 to 13 mm, an anteroposterior diameter (D.sub.a) and a length (L), and the ratio anteroposterior diameter/transverse diameter (RAPT) is in a range of from 0.5 to 1.0. Kits employ a plurality of such devices.

The present invention is directed to a nerve regeneration conduit including a resorbable tube having a matrix therein. The matrix is characterized by substantially parallel, axially aligned pores extending the length of the matrix. The matrix is formed by the axial freezing of a slurry having little or no significant radial thermal gradient during the freezing process. The matrix is used to bridge the gap between the severed ends of a nerve and provide a scaffold for nerve regeneration.

The present invention relates to a neurotrophic factor carrier, particularly to a neurotrophic factor carrier wherein the neurotrophic factor is contained in a porous nerve conduit having micropores formed in microchannels, a method for preparing the same and a method for regenerating a nerve using the same, wherein the neurotrophic factor carrier prepared according to the present invention is applicable to in-vitro and in-vivo researches on nerves.

The present disclosure provides magnetically templated tissue scaffolds, methods of making the magnetically templated tissue scaffolds, and various methods of employing the scaffolds for tissue growth and repair in vitro and in vivo, including peripheral nerve repair.