The present invention relates to a composition comprising a cross-linked compound (A) selected from the group polysulphated and unsulphated polysaccharides, polysulphated and unsulphated glycosaminoglycans, polysulphated and unsulphated proteoglycans, and polysulphated and unsulphated glycoproteins, and/or autologous cells reprogrammed to synthetize and secrete the compound (A), and an analogue of mammalian insulin-growth factor-1 (B) wherein amino acid residues are modified, removed or substituted that maintain or enhance insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor avidity and affinity and wherein amino acid residues are modified, removed or added that reduce insulin-like growth factor binding protein avidity and affinity. The composition is particularly suitable for prolonging the viscosupplementation effect post-treatment of damaged articular joints.

Provided is a technique for enhancing the absorption of fucoidan into the body and elevate various effects of fucoidan by using a fucoidan preparation that is characterized by containing fucoidan and zinc and the ratio of zinc to fucoidan being 0.005% or greater.

Compositions and methods for inducing an immune response against extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are described. In particular, multivalent vaccines containing E. coli antigen polysaccharide covalently bound to a exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (EPA) carrier protein that can withstand multiple environmental stresses are described.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a novel method for pure-chemically producing a biantennary N-glycan with an ?2,6-sialic acid structure at each non-reducing end, the method having excellent yield, selectivity, and efficiency; and a method for producing a novel monosaccharide or oligosaccharide, which are useful in the method, and, for instance, intermediates as well as a novel method for producing the glycoprotein or the like by using the method. Provided are: a novel method for pure-chemically producing a biantennary N-glycan with an ?2,6-sialic acid structure at each non-reducing end such that for glycosidic linkage, the direct construction of which is difficult using adjacent group involvement, disaccharide blocks are individually constructed and are stereoselectively linked to another sugar block in this synthesis scheme; and a method for producing a novel monosaccharide or oligosaccharide, which are useful in the method, and, for instance, intermediates as well as a novel method for producing the glycoprotein or the like by using the method.

A composition contains a silylated polysaccharide, where the silylated polysaccharide is characterized by: (a) having linked fructose, galactose, anhydrogalactose, or glucose saccharide units provided that glycosidic linkages of glucose are alpha linkages and that the silylated polysaccharide is other than a silylated starch; and (b) on average 1 to 100 mole-percent of the hydroxyl groups on the polysaccharide have been silylated with a silyl group having the structure SiR.sub.3 linked to the polysaccharide through a COSi bond where each R is independently selected from hydrocarbyl radicals having from one to 12 carbon atoms, provided that on average at least one R per polysaccharide has a terminally unsaturated carbon-carbon double bond.

The present invention discloses a matrix comprising a modified polysaccharide consisting of repeating disaccharide units whereby in at least 11% of the disaccharide units one primary alcohol group is oxidized into a carboxylic acid group.

The invention provides a process for the reductive amination of a carbonyl group at the reducing terminus of a polysaccharide, wherein the reductive amination is carried out at a pH between 4 and 5. The invention also provides a process for preparing a conjugate of a polysaccharide and a carrier molecule, comprising the steps of: (a) coupling the polysaccharide to a linker, to form a polysaccharide-linker compound in which the free terminus of the linker is an ester group; and (b) reacting the ester group with a primary amine group in the carrier molecule, to form a polysaccharide-linker-carrier molecule conjugate in which the linker is coupled to the carrier molecule via an amide linkage. The invention also provides a process for reducing contamination of a polysaccharide-linker compound with unreacted linker, comprising a step of precipitating unreacted linker under aqueous conditions at a pH of less than 5. The invention also provides polysaccharide-linker-carrier molecule conjugates and intermediate compounds obtained or obtainable by these processes.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing fungal pharmaceutical composition, used for extracting a glycosaminoglycan fiber from a fungal cell wall. Differing from the glycosaminoglycan fiber produced by using a fabrication method proposed by Taiwan patent No. 442496 showing many drawbacks including low extraction percentage, coarse fiber, and having light-yellow color, the glycosaminoglycan fiber manufactured by using this novel method reveals the advantages of high extraction percentage, fine fibers, and showing white color. So that, the novel glycosaminoglycan fiber produced by using the present invention's method is suitable for being processed to an excipient. Moreover, because a variety of experimental results have proved that the glycosaminoglycan fiber produced by using the present invention's method possesses good adsorption ability of tissue fluid and moisture retention ability, this novel glycosaminoglycan fiber is also suitable for being processed to a skin dressing, an artificial skin, or a hydrate mask.

The present invention relates to a biocompatible nanoparticle and a use thereof and, more specifically, to a biocompatible nanoparticle formed by irradiation an electron beam to an aqueous solution comprising at least one substance selected from the group consisting of a polysaccharide, a derivative thereof and a polyethylene glycol, thereby inducing inter-molecular cross-linking or intra-molecular cross-linking, and to a use of the biocompatible nanoparticle in a drug carrier, a contrast agent, a diagnostic agent or an intestinal adhesion prevention agent or for disease prevention and treatment.

The invention provides a process for the reductive amination of a carbonyl group at the reducing terminus of a polysaccharide, wherein the reductive amination is carried out at a pH between 4 and 5. The invention also provides a process for preparing a conjugate of a polysaccharide and a carrier molecule, comprising the steps of: (a) coupling the polysaccharide to a linker, to form a polysaccharide-linker compound in which the free terminus of the linker is an ester group; and (b) reacting the ester group with a primary amine group in the carrier molecule, to form a polysaccharide-linker-carrier molecule conjugate in which the linker is coupled to the carrier molecule via an amide linkage. The invention also provides a process for reducing contamination of a polysaccharide-linker compound with unreacted linker, comprising a step of precipitating unreacted linker under aqueous conditions at a pH of less than 5. The invention also provides polysaccharide-linker-carrier molecule conjugates and intermediate compounds obtained or obtainable by these processes.