Abstract: The invention relates to a device for a medical treatment of a sclera, the device (100) comprising a curved disc or a belt (102), wherein the disc/belt is configured to be placed into the Tenon's space; the disc/belt is formed such that the inner surface of the curved disc/belt is superficially contactable to the surface of an area of the sclera so as to superficially cover said area; and the disc/belt comprises one, two, three, four, or more independent channel systems (101).

Abstract: The invention relates to a mitochondrial expression vector which may comprise a gene to be expressed and/or a selection marker and a mitochondrial region, and a method for inserting a DNA to be expressed into mitochondria of mammalian cells, wherein the method may comprise the steps: (i) construction of a mitochondrial expression vector or a mitochondrial genome, (ii) reversible induction of megamitochondria and (iii) transfection of the megamitochondria by means of a physical transfection method.

Abstract: The invention relates to modified antibiotic peptides, in particular derivatives of apidaecin and oncocin, preferably having increased stability, reduced immunoreaction, and improved pharmacokinetics. In the invention, the peptide antibiotics are reversibly protected by means of a linker having the polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG). The peptide linker contains a recognition sequence for trypsin-like serum proteases. In the apidaecin derivatives, the linker and the PEG are bonded to a side chain. In the serum, the linker is cut by serum proteases and PEG is separated off. The released peptide still contains remnants of the linker, which are still bonded to the amino group in the side chain. Astonishingly, said remaining remnants of the linker impair the activity of the antimicrobial peptide only a little or not at all.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining an amount of a peroxide in a sample, wherein the method comprises the steps of: —providing a sample, —contacting the sample with a terbium(III) benzene dicarboxylic acid complex, and —determining the luminescence of the terbium(III) benzene dicarboxylic acid complex.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polypeptide consisting of or comprising a variant of human trypsinogen-1, comprising the substitutions: amino acid residue E64 is replaced with an amino acid residue comprising a positively charged side chain, amino acid residue K123 is replaced with an amino acid residue comprising an aliphatic side chain and amino acid residues Y139 and D147 are replaced with a glutamine or asparagine residue, and wherein said variant is further characterized in that: an amino acid residue selected from E16, E17 and E142 is replaced with an amino acid residue comprising an aliphatic side chain, and/or amino acid residue N18 is replaced with a histidine residue, and/or amino acid residue R107 is replaced with a lysine residue, and/or amino acid residue D138 is replaced with an amino acid residue comprising a positively charged side chain, and wherein said variant is cleavable into a polypeptide having a native-like enzymatic activity when compared to human trypsin-1.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hydrophobed porous oil binder in the form of a nonwoven fabric composed of lignocellulose-containing raw materials having a biologically functionalized surface for removing mineral-oil-based contaminants in seas, rivers, inland waters, and stormwater basins or wastewater treatment plants, wherein the density of the oil binder is 10 to 900 kg/m3, the oil binder is 1 to 25 mm thick, the broad surface of the oil binder has a dimension of 9 to 200 cm2, the porosity of the oil binder is 30 to 96%, measured with respect to the total fraction of the oil binder, and the flexural strength of the oil binder is at least 1.5 N/mm2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the treatment of organs which are degenerative and/or in the pathological state by means of the use of cells, which are phenotypically stably differentiating or differentiated but not necessarily ultimately predetermined with respect to development, from a donor organ selected according to the principles of the opposite cell differentiation program (OCDP) and also to the use of cells of this type for the treatment or for the production of a drug for treatment of the same. Furthermore, the present invention relates to pharmaceutical agents comprising suitable phenotypically stable cells, cells of a first organ which is different from the second organ with respect to organ type thereby being used, which, in the normal physiological state with respect to a predetermined set of expressed genes and/or phenotypical properties, have opposite properties to the second cells in the normal physiological state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of biology and medicine, and more specifically, to the field of stem-cell biology, involving producing or generating melanocytes from stem-cells and precursors derived from human hair root. Additionally, the present invention relates to the materials and method for producing autografts, homografts or allografts comprising melanocytes in general, as well as the materials and methods for producing autografts, homografts and allografts comprising melanocytes for the treatment of diseases related to depigmentation of the skin and for the treatment of scars.

Abstract: The invention relates to modified antibiotic peptides, in particular derivatives of apidaecin and oncocin, preferably having increased stability, reduced immunoreaction, and improved pharmacokinetics. In the invention, the peptide antibiotics are reversibly protected by means of a linker having the polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG). The peptide linker contains a recognition sequence for trypsin-like serum proteases. In the apidaecin derivatives, the linker and the PEG are bonded to a side chain. In the serum, the linker is cut by serum proteases and PEG is separated off. The released peptide still contains remnants of the linker, which are still bonded to the amino group in the side chain. Astonishingly, said remaining remnants of the linker impair the activity of the antimicrobial peptide only a little or not at all.

Abstract: A method for diagnosis and/or prognosis of cancers, for diagnosis of the site of origin of tumour cells, for optimizing the treatment of cancer patients and for screening active substances for oncology. In the method, the mechanical properties of tumour cells and reference cells are analyzed under a mechanical load that leads to linear or nonlinear deformation of the respective loaded cell. The expansion of the cells, which results from the input of a directed mechanical stress, is used to determine the risk of tumour metastases and, if appropriate, the presence of uncontrollably proliferating and/or invasive cells, or the tissue of origin of the tumour. The risk of tumour metastases is determined on the basis of the proportion of cells in the sample that have an extension counter to the direction of stressing.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a novel circovirus as causative agent of bone marrow aplasia with haemorrhagic disease in cattle. The present invention provides novel nucleic acid and protein sequences for diagnostic and therapeutic uses.

Abstract: Mixing, physical and/or chemical reactions and separation are basic method steps in biological research and diagnosis. In research in particular, there is a need for problem-specific laboratory systems, but these are not commercially available because of small batch sizes and because of the specific problem involved. In the absence of these systems, existing vessels, filters, centrifuges, etc., have to be improvised in order to solve the problem. The aim of the invention is to make available a system of functional units that can in each case be plugged together depending on the methodological problem.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in-vitro method for the formation of megamitochondria in cells, wherein the cells are grown in a suitable fermentation medium acidulated with lactic acid to pH values between 5.3 and 6.7. The invention further concerns H+ ionophores, ionophores which catalyze the electroneutral exchange of K+ for H+ and inhibitors of actin polymerisation for the prevention or treatment of a disease in which inhibiting or reducing the formation of megamitochondria has a beneficial effect.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the treatment of organs which are degenerative and/or in the pathological state by means of the use of cells, which are phenotypically stably differentiating or differentiated but not necessarily ultimately predetermined with respect to development, from a donor organ selected according to the principles of the opposite cell differentiation program (OCDP) and also to the use of cells of this type for the treatment or for the production of a drug for treatment of the same. Furthermore, the present invention relates to pharmaceutical agents comprising suitable phenotypically stable cells, cells of a first organ which is different from the second organ with respect to organ type thereby being used, which, in the normal physiological state with respect to a predetermined set of expressed genes and/or phenotypical properties, have opposite properties to the second cells in the normal physiological state.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include Optical Cell Guidance (OCG) methods and apparatus to control cell growth. This system guides the leading edge of motile cells with an optical gradient, which biases the cell's motion into the light by pulling on proteins, which act like soft dielectrics in the electromagnetic field. OCG differs from those devices described above in that it controls the direction of cell motility. This is an entirely new field, and the first device to directly manipulate cell motility. OCG differs from current approaches in that it does not trap or hold particles. Instead of trapping and pulling the cell, the goal of OCG is to influence, direct, and control the growth of a growth cone.

Abstract: In a method for determining specific conditions or changes in the endometrium or in the epithelium of other organs, RNA from a blood sample or tissue sample isolated and the expression or over expression of mRNA of at least one of ?7-hCG, ?6-hCG, and ?6e-hCG is measured quantitatively in the blood or tissue sample. Additionally, total ?hCG mRNA expression or mRNA expression of at least one of ?5-hCG, ?8-hCG, ?3-hCG is quantitatively measured and brought into relation with the expression or over expression of mRNA of at least one of ?7-hCG, ?6-hCG, and ?6e-hCG.