The present invention relates to a method for preparing a porous scaffold for tissue engineering. It is another object of the present invention to provide a porous scaffold obtainable by the method as above described, and its use for tissue engineering, cell culture and cell delivery. The method of the invention comprises the steps consisting of: a) preparing an alkaline aqueous solution comprising an amount of at least one polysaccharide, an amount of a cross-linking agent and an amount of a porogen agent b) transforming the solution into a hydrogel by placing said solution at a temperature from about 4 C. to about 80 C. for a sufficient time to allow the cross-linking of said amount of polysaccharide and c) submerging said hydrogel into an aqueous solution d) washing the porous scaffold obtained at step c).

The present invention relates to compositions comprising a polymeric matrix or a gel containing functional enzymes capable of re-creating under culture conditions the cell microenvironment existing in vivo. The present invention also relates to devices for cell cultures comprising such compositions, in particular hydrogel and the use thereof to control the chemical microenvironment of a cell culture or mimic physiological or pathological conditions of the in vivo cells. The compositions and the devices described herein could be also used in vitro for evaluating the therapeutic effect of a compound on a determined cell line or on primary cells.

The present disclosure provides a method of preparing mimicking angiogenic co-spheroids, including: co-cultring a neural related cell and a cultured cell on hyaluronan-grafted chitosan (CS-HA) substrates to form a co-spheroid of neural related cell/cultured cell, and encapsulating the co-spheroid of neural related cell/cultured cell into a hydrogel to form a mimicking angiogenic co-spheroid. The mimicking angiogenic co-spheroid of the present disclosure can be formed by 3D printing model as a 3D mini-neurovascular unit, which is applicated to a high-throughput angiogenesis screening platform.

An artificial tissue construct for nerve repair and regeneration includes a biocompatible and biodegradable nerve guidance matrix comprising a plurality of biopolymers that include chitosan, gelatin, collagen and hyaluronic acid. A cross-linker includes glutaraldehyde. The nerve guidance matrix is formed as a three-dimensional scaffold polyelectrolyte complex (PEC). A subconfluent and grown monolayer of at least one of human mesenchymal stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, differentiated Schwann cells and neuronal cells is on the biocompatible and biodegradable nerve guidance matrix for direct implantation or delivery. A method of making the artificial tissue construct is disclosed.

A transdermal delivery system of microneedles containing a bioactive material, comprising at least one layer of a support material; at least one biodegradable needle associated with the support material, each needle comprising at least one biodegradable polymer and at least one sugar, wherein each biodegradable needle is hollow and is adapted to retain a bioactive material.

The present invention relates to composite hydrogels comprising at least one non-peptidic polymer and at least one peptide having the general formula: Z(X).sub.m(Y).sub.nZ.sub.p, wherein Z is an N-terminal protecting group; X is, at each occurrence, independently selected from an aliphatic amino acid, an aliphatic amino acid derivative and a glycine; Y is, at each occurrence, independently selected from a polar amino acid and a polar amino acid derivative; Z is a C-terminal protecting group; m is an integer selected from 2 to 6; n is selected from 1 or 2; and p is selected from 0 or 1. The present invention further relates to methods of producing the composite hydrogels, to uses of the composite hydrogels for the delivery of drugs and other bioactive agents/moieties, as an implant or injectable agent that facilitates tissue regeneration, and as a topical agent for wound healing. The present invention further relates to devices and pharmaceutical or cosmetic compositions comprising the composite hydrogels and to medical uses of the composite hydrogels.

The present invention relates to compositions comprising a polymeric matrix or a gel containing functional enzymes capable of re-creating under culture conditions the cell microenvironment existing in vivo. The present invention also relates to devices for cell cultures comprising such compositions, in particular hydrogel and the use thereof to control the chemical microenvironment of a cell culture or mimic physiological or pathological conditions of the in vivo cells. The compositions and the devices described herein could be also used in vitro for evaluating the therapeutic effect of a compound on a determined cell line or on primary cells.

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional cell culture support having a double crosslink, and a casting tray for manufacturing the three-dimensional cell culture support, wherein the method for manufacturing the three-dimensional cell culture support having the double crosslink includes: producing a cell mixed hydrogel; manufacturing a casting gel mold in a three-dimensional shape; and manufacturing a structure gelated in a three-dimensional shape, and the casting tray for manufacturing the three-dimensional cell culture support includes: a tray part including a groove accommodating a gel solution; a mold part covering the tray part; and a mold protrusion provided on the mold part and inserted into the groove when the mold part covers the tray part.

The present disclosure relates to an in-vitro method for identifying and analyzing secretion proteins, in which a three-dimensional sweat gland equivalent having from about 500 to about 500,000 sweat gland cells and a diameter of from about 100 to about 6,000 m is firstly provided and then any secretion proteins present in this equivalent are infected and analyzed. In a further method step c) the influence of test substances on the proteins identified previously in step b) is examined. Since the three-dimensional sweat gland equivalents used in step a) comprise differently differentiated cells and portray the in-vivo situation well, the measurement data obtained with the in-vitro method as contemplated herein can be transferred well to the in-vivo situation.

Disclosed is a spheroid forming culture container using a temperature-sensitive glycol chitosan derivative and a spheroid forming method using the same. In the disclosed spheroid forming culture container, a surface of a culturing space is coated with a glycol chitosan derivative having reversible sol-gel transition characteristic depending on temperature.