Abstract: An osteoinductive demineralized bone matrix, corresponding osteoimplants, and methods for making the osteoinductive demineralized bone matrix are disclosed. The osteoinductive demineralized bone matrix may be prepared by providing demineralized bone and altering the collagenous structure of the bone. The osteoinductive demineralized bone matrix may also be prepared by providing demineralized bone and compacting the bone, for example via mechanical compaction, grinding into a particulate, or treatment with a chemical. Additives such as growth factors or bioactive agents may be added to the osteoinductive demineralized bone matrix. The osteoinductive demineralized bone matrix may form an osteogenic osteoimplant. The osteoimplant, when implanted in a mammalian body, may induce at the locus of the implant the full developmental cascade of endochondral bone formation including vascularization, mineralization, and bone marrow differentiation.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a variety of methods and compositions (e.g., solutions) useful for making, sterilizing, and preserving tissues (e.g., acellular tissue matrices). The disclosure also features the acellular tissue matrices made by the methods, which matrices can be used for a variety of applications such as, but not limited to, treating an injury to, or repairing, a large number of tissues and/or organs (e.g., e.g., fascia, bones, and/or cartilage) in a mammal (e.g., a human).

Abstract: A composition and method which improves blood lipid profiles and optionally reduces low density lipoprotein (LDL) per-oxidation in humans by administering a therapeutic amount of a composition comprising krill oil in combination with astaxanthin or a mixture of fish oil derived, choline based, phospholipid bound omega-3 fatty acid mixture including phospholipid bound polyunsaturated EPA and DHA. In one embodiment, the krill oil is derived from Euphasia spp., comprising Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids in the form of triacylglycerides and phospholipids. The krill oil includes at least 10% EPA and 5% DHA, of which greater than 50% are in the form of phospholipids and the 1-4000 mg of krill oil per daily dose is delivered.

Abstract: Stem cells are proliferated with the application of acoustic pressure waves, including cambium cells of periosteum treated in-vivo with acoustic pressure waves. Following harvesting and viability assessment of in-vivo or in-vitro proliferated stem cells, acoustic pressure waves are applied to enhance in-vivo or in-vitro differentiation either before or after implantation of the stems cells to an organism. Acoustic pressure waves also stimulate an implantation site to enhance viability and to grow desired tissue.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automated laser microdissection are disclosed including automatic slide detection, position detection of cutting and capture lasers, focus optimization for cutting and capture lasers, energy and duration optimization for cutting and capture lasers, inspection and second phase capture and/or ablation in a quality control station and tracking information for linking substrate carrier or output microdissected regions with input sample or slide.

Abstract: A method for producing foams, such as sponges, from hydrocolloids is described. A solid or semi-solid gel is formed by dissolving polymeric material in an aqueous solvent. The gel formed is allowed to set, and may optionally then be cut into the desired shape. The gel may be frozen to allow formation of ice crystals to act as porogens. Subsequently, the gel is exposed to a radiant energy field for drying under vacuum. This causes the solvent to boil and the foam or sponge is formed. Medicinally active ingredients may be included in the process, so that the sponge or foam formed contains the active ingredient dispersed within the structure. The method described provides an alternative to the conventional methods of particulate leaching or freeze drying.

Abstract: A medium is described for the protein-free and serum-free cultivation of cells, especially mammalian cells, whereby the medium contains a proportion of soy hydrolysate.

Abstract: Combinations of one or more anti-obesity drugs with mixtures of an omega-3 fatty acid formulation containing about 90% or more omega 3 fatty acids by weight comprised of a combination of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a weight ratio of EPA:DHA of from 5.7 to 6.3, wherein the sum of the EPA, DHA and DPA comprise about 82% by weight of the total formulation and about 92% of the total omega 3 fatty acid content of the composition for the reduction of body weight in cardiovascular disease patients (CVD) and diabetics.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automated laser microdissection are disclosed. In one variation, targeted biological material is manually or automatically selected and a transfer film is placed in juxtaposition to the location of an interior of a cut path. In another variation, a sample of biological material is mounted onto a polymer membrane which is then placed onto a substrate. Targeted biological material is manually or automatically selected and a transfer film is placed in juxtaposition with the targeted biological material on the side of the biological material. In yet another variation, a sample of biological material is mounted onto a polymer membrane which is then inverted onto a substrate. Targeted biological material is manually or automatically selected and a transfer film is placed in juxtaposition with the targeted biological material on the side of the polymer membrane.

Abstract: Described herein are tissue grafts derived from the placenta. The grafts are composed of at least one layer of amnion tissue where the epithelium layer has been substantially removed in order to expose the basement layer to host cells. By removing the epithelium layer, cells from the host can more readily interact with the cell-adhesion bio-active factors located onto top and within of the basement membrane. Also described herein are methods for making and using the tissue grafts. The laminin structure of amnion tissue is nearly identical to that of native human tissue such as, for example, oral mucosa tissue. This includes high level of laminin-5, a cell adhesion bio-active factor show to bind gingival epithelia-cells, found throughout upper portions of the basement membrane.

Abstract: A method for preparing placenta membrane tissue grafts for medical use, includes obtaining a placenta from a subject, cleaning the placenta, separating the chorion tissue from the amniotic membrane, mounting a selected layer of either the chorion tissue or the amniotic membrane onto a drying fixture, dehydrating the selected layer on the drying fixture, and cutting the selected layer into a plurality of tissue grafts. Preferably, the drying fixture includes grooves or raised edges that define the outer contours of each desired tissue graft, after they are cut, and further includes raised or indented logos that emboss the middle area of the tissue grafts during dehydration and that enables an end user to distinguish the top from the bottom side of the graft. The grafts are comprised of single layers of amnion or chorion, multiple layers of amnion or chorion, or multiple layers of a combination of amnion and chorion.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a tissue cell culture system whereby a call tissue can be efficiently and quickly proliferated in vivo and the onset bacterial infection in an injured part can be avoided in the course of a treatment. More specifically, a closed cell culture system (1) characterized in that a defection (2) of a tissue on the body surface or inside the body is tightly sealed to form a closed environment free from the invasion of bacteria, etc. and then a solution appropriate for cell culture is circulated in the tissue defection thus sealed to thereby regenerate the defective tissue; and a method of administering a drug which comprises dissolving a remedy in the perfusion with the use of the above system and thus promoting the treatment of the defection.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for suppressing surgical site infections (SSI) that have occurred at extremely high incidence rates at the time of surgical operations and particularly surgical operations on digestive system organs, and to provide a column to be used for the method. According to the present invention, a method is provided for suppressing surgical site infections, which comprises the steps of: (a) administering a chemotherapeutic drug for treating and/or preventing a surgical site infection; and (b) collecting blood from a surgical subject and removing leukocytes that comprise neutrophils from the blood during or within 24 hours after surgical operation, and then returning the blood from which the leukocytes have been removed to the surgical subject.

Abstract: A cellular scaffold that is suitable for tissue regeneration, cell culture and in vitro assays. The invention relates to a layered cell scaffold that is seeded with mesenchymal and ectodermal cells. The layered cellular scaffold comprises an inoculum of mesenchymal cells and ectodermal cells positioned between two opposing scaffolds in a sandwich configuration. The layered cell scaffold provides a functional skin equivalent that is suitable for transplantation and in vitro cell-based assays.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a chemotactic hematopoietic stem cell product comprising an enriched population of CD34+ cells containing a subpopulation of CD34+/CXCR-4+ cells having CXCR-4-mediated chemotactic activity, methods of preparing these compositions and use of these compositions to treat or repair vascular injury, including infarcted myocardium.

Abstract: A method of preserving an umbilical cord is disclosed. The method comprises obtaining a segment of an umbilical cord; mincing the segment of the umbilical cord into cord tissue pieces; admixing the cord tissue pieces with a cryogenic composition comprising a cryoprotectant and a protein to form a mixture; shaking the mixture for a duration of no shorter than 20 minutes and no longer than 40 minutes; and cryopreserving the mixture.

Abstract: Described herein are tissue grafts derived from the placenta. The grafts are composed of at least one layer of amnion tissue where the epithelium layer has been substantially removed in order to expose the basement layer to host cells. By removing the epithelium layer, cells from the host can more readily interact with the cell-adhesion bio-active factors located onto top and within of the basement membrane. Also described herein are methods for making and using the tissue grafts. The laminin structure of amnion tissue is nearly identical to that of native human tissue such as, for example, oral mucosa tissue. This includes high level of laminin-5, a cell adhesion bio-active factor show to bind gingival epithelia-cells, found throughout upper portions of the basement membrane.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions for making erythroid progenitor cells that comprise in vitro-activated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and embryoid bodies (EBs) or pluripotent stem cells, and methods for making and using them, including ameliorating (e.g., preventing or treating) anemia and/or stimulating erythropoiesis. In one embodiment, the invention provides methods of increasing propensity of committed stem cell differentiation towards the erythroid lineage.

Abstract: A cell separation apparatus comprises a means for moving a cell within a cell separating space by applying an electrical voltage to cells in the cell separating space using gel electrodes, and channels for separating and discharging the cell, which thus does not damage a cell sample and prevents the exhaustion of an electrode due to its electrolysis.

Abstract: Described herein are tissue grafts derived from the placenta. The grafts are composed of at least one layer of amnion tissue where the epithelium layer has been substantially removed in order to expose the basement layer to host cells. By removing the epithelium layer, cells from the host can more readily interact with the cell-adhesion bio-active factors located onto top and within of the basement membrane. Also described herein are methods for making and using the tissue grafts. The laminin structure of amnion tissue is nearly identical to that of native human tissue such as, for example, oral mucosa tissue. This includes high level of laminin-5, a cell adhesion bio-active factor show to bind gingival epithelia-cells, found throughout upper portions of the basement membrane.