The growth and/or proliferation of mammalian cells are modulated by modulating the physical interaction between platelets (thrombocytes) and the surface of the cells. Sulfated polysaccharides, preferably glycosaminoglycans, can be used as a medicament for the inhibition of the physical interaction between the cell surface and platelets in the treatment of a medical disorder associated with unwanted cell growth and/or proliferation. The physical interaction between platelets (thrombocytes) and the surface of the cells can be modulated in vitro in order to modulate cell proliferation. Inhibition of the interaction between the cell surface and platelets can inhibit cell growth, and enhancement of the interaction between platelets and the surface of the cell can enhance cell growth.

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.

Compositions and methods are described for inducing an immune response against extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) to thereby provide immune protection against diseases associated with ExPEC. In particular, compositions and methods are described for using conjugates of E. coli polysaccharide antigens O25B, O1A, O2, and O6A covalently bound to a detoxified exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (EPA) carrier protein as vaccines for the prevention of invasive ExPEC disease caused by ExPEC serotypes O1A, O2, O6A and O25B.

Methods of synthesizing chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides are provided. Enzymatic schematic approaches to synthesizing structurally defined homogenous chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides at high yields are provided. Synthetic chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides ranging from 3-mers to 15-mers are provided.

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 present invention concerns a block copolymer having at least one oligo- or polysaccharide block and at least one elastin-like polypeptide block, wherein said block copolymer comprises at least one repetitive unit having the following formula (I): ##STR00001## wherein R is the side chain of a natural or synthetic amino acid other than proline and derivatives thereof.

Compositions, systems, methods, etc., related to fucan-dendrimer complexes wherein a fucan molecule is linked or otherwise attached to a dendrimer. For example, the current compositions can comprise fucan covalently linked, conjugated, attached, tagged, adducted, bound, etc., to a dendrimer. These fucan-dendrimer complexes include fucan-hyperbranched polyglycerol, fucan-hyperbranched poly(glycerol ester), fucan-hyperbranched poly(1,3-diether), fucan-poly(3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane), fucan-hyperbranched polyesters, fucan-hyperbranched polyethylene, fucan-hyperbranched polystyrene, fucan-hyperbranched poly(urea-urethanes), fucan-hyperbranched polyethyleneimine, fucan-hyperbranched poly(amido amine)s, fucan-hyperbranched polyphosphates, fucan-hyperbranched polypeptides, fucan-hyperbranched polysaccharides, fucan-hyperbranched polyacrylates and fucan-hyperbranched beta-cyclodextrin. These fucan-dendrimer complexes may be used in medically and/or pharmaceutically effective compositions, for a plurality of applications, including the treatment of fibrous adhesions. In some embodiments, the fucan is fucoidan.

Compositions and methods are described for inducing an immune response against extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) to thereby provide immune protection against diseases associated with ExPEC. In particular, compositions and methods are described for using conjugates of E. coli polysaccharide antigens O25B, O1A, O2, and O6A covalently bound to a detoxified exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (EPA) carrier protein as vaccines for the prevention of invasive ExPEC disease caused by ExPEC serotypes O1A, O2, O6A and O25B.

The invention provides highly concentrated chitosan-nucleic acid polyplex compositions and dispersions, and methods for producing the compositions and dispersions. Methods of mixing the chitosan-nucleic acid polyplexes include an inline mixing of chitosan solution and nucleic acid solution, followed by further concentrating the dispersion of chitosan-nucleic acid polyplexes, optionally with an aggregation inhibitor. Further provides are methods for altering the diameter of chitosan-nucleic acid polyplexes.

[Problem] The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a material which can generate fine beads in a sparkling beverage and can keep the fine beads in the beverage without adversely affecting the flavor of the beverage when added to the beverage; and a method for producing the material. [Solution] A method for producing a polysaccharide-protein complex, comprising a heating step of heating a polysaccharide containing an uronic acid as a constituent sugar in the presence of a protein under the conditions in which the pH value is 2 to 5 and the temperature is 80 to 180 C. inclusive, wherein a fraction having a molecular weight of 12000 or more makes up 30% by mass or less of the polysaccharide-protein complex and a fraction having a molecular weight of 500 or more and less than 12000 makes up 30% by mass or more of the polysaccharide-protein complex.