Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing teicoplanin. The method includes purifying teicoplanin from a culture broth, obtained by culturing microorganisms capable of producing teicoplanin by a porous adsorption resin under selective elution conditions and recovering highly pure teicoplanin using activated carbon and/or ultrafiltration. In this regard, the method can further include ultrafiltration as pre-treatment before the culture broth is adsorbed into the porous adsorption resin so as to increase the purity of teicoplanin.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the detection of biological material on non-living surfaces in which samples are exposed to electromagnetic radiation of specific energies capable of exciting various intrinsic fluorophores, and these fluorophores emit fluorescence that can be measured. The signal from the background, scattered excitation light and reflected excitation light is removed from the fluorescence signals due to the intrinsic fluorophores from the biological material and the intensities of the signals from the intrinsic fluorophores are required to lie within expected ranges.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a purified sulfite reductase which has the following characteristics: a. It functions to catalyze the reduction of sulfites to sulfides or to recover the sulfhydryl groups from disulfide groups, b. In the aforesaid catalysis of the reduction, reduced nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), methyl viologen (MVH) or other donors acts as an electron donor, c. Its molecular weight is from 100,000 to 400,000, d. The optimal temperature for its activity is from 20° C. to 30° C., and e. The optimal pH for its activity is from 6.5 to 8.0. The present invention also relates to a process for producing the purified sulfite reductase, and a method for recovering the proteins of denatured fish by using said sulfite reductase in solution or powder form.

Abstract: Processes for producing a tissue graft comprising acellularizing or devitalizing a tubular tissue to produce a tissue matrix. The tissue matrix is then populated with at least some viable cells. The processing and the populating steps are performed in a closed system, such as a bioreactor. Tissue grafts produced using the inventive processes may be capable of withstanding physiological stress and strain conditions present at a site into which the tissue graft is implanted.

Abstract: The invention relates to a preserved, deantigenated tissue matrix of an animal or human hollow organ, e.g. of a blood vessel, of the ureter or urinary bladder, which matrix is autologous, allogenic or xenogenic with respect to a recipient and whose biomechanical properties are not or only slightly impaired by such preservation, which does not include any infectious particles from the donor and is excellently suited for coating with recipient endothelial, epithelial, fibroblast, or muscle cells in order to produce autologous grafts for said recipient. The invention is also directed to a method of producing said tissue matrix and to the use thereof, as well as to the autologous graft produced therefrom, and to the production and use thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to conjugates of a lipid, substrate peptide of an enzyme secreted from the cells of mammals, including humans, and a water-soluble polymer that can be used as colloidal carriers and the like of tissue-specific drug delivery systems, methods of producing these conjugates, peptide-water-soluble polymer conjugates optionally having protective groups that are useful as the intermediates of these conjugates, colloidal carriers made from these conjugates, and tissue-specific drug delivery systems that use these colloidal carriers.

Abstract: Methods for treating at least one condition of an intervertebral disc (e.g. protrusion, hemiation, discogenic pain, dehydration, or degeneration) in a patient in need thereof are provided. The method comprises placing a device into an intervertebral space of a patient wherein the device comprises: a chemonucleolysis agent in solid form such that, when the device is placed into the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc, it releases the chemonucleoylysis agent into the nuclear disc tissue surrounding the device to proteolytically degrade the tissue; or first or second active agents in solid form wherein the first active agent is different from the second active agent and wherein the device, when placed in the nucleous pulposus of the intervertebral disc, releases the first and second active agents into the nuclear disc tissue surrounding the device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for processing sperm cells to accomplish preservation for future use while minimizing the adverse effects of such preservation. Sperm cells may be collected from a male animal and subjected to a first preservation step, including potentially a first cryopreservation step. Preserved sperm may then be revived, including potentially by thawing, and treated by any of various processing steps to mitigate the adverse effects of preservation. Treated sperm may then be subjected to a second preservation step, including potentially a second cryopreservation step, perhaps enabling a delayed use of the sperm at a future time.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for introducing a three-dimensional configuration of micron to sub-micron size in a polymeric substrate comprising applying a catalyst for the selective removal of sub-unit parts of the polymer to at least one predetermined area of the polymer substrate via a pipette with a nano-sized orifice.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the processes of racemization and deprotection of special N-protected amino acids in the acylase/racemase system for the total conversion of special N-protected racemic amino acids into optically pure amino acids.

Abstract: A method for vitrification of a tissue or organ includes immersing the tissue or organ in increasing concentrations of cryoprotectant solution at a temperature greater than ?15° C. to a cryoprotectant concentration sufficient for vitrification; cooling the tissue or organ at an average rate of from 2.5–100° C. per minute to a temperature between ?80° C. and the glass transition temperature; and further cooling the tissue or organ at an average rate less than 30° C. per minute to a temperature below the glass transition temperature to vitrify the tissue or organ. After the vitrified tissue or organ has been stored, the tissue or organ may be removed from vitrification by warming the tissue or organ at an average rate of from 20–40° C. per minute to a temperature between ?80° C. and the glass transition temperature; further warming the tissue or organ at a rate greater than 80° C. per minute to a temperature above ?75° C.; and reducing the concentration of the cryoprotectant.

Abstract: A process for hydrolyzing products with enzymatic activity remaining in peptone solutions after mucosa hydrolysis is provided along with a process for preserving mucosa tissue. Broadly, the processes are carried out by hydrolyzing mucosa tissue according to conventional heparin manufacturing processes wherein an excess quantity of proteolytic enzymes is used. The resulting peptone solution is then contacted with proteins or protein-containing materials in order to hydrolyze the proteins. In another embodiment, mucosa tissue is preserved by mixing it with a preserving agent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide and phosphoric acid. The product preserved by hydrogen peroxide is low in ash, stable for at least a week, and has a reduced odor.

Abstract: Uses of aldose 1-epimerase (SEQ ID NO:3) from body fluids or body tissues in human and veterinary medicine as a marker peptide for diagnosis, for prognosis of the course and for monitoring of the course of inflammations and infections and/or as a target for therapeutically influencing the course of inflammations and/or infections.

Abstract: A method of stimulating or enhancing an ornithine-urea cycle in ruminant gut tissues, which entails either feeding to a ruminant an effective amount of a ruminant feed or feed supplement containing an effective amount of a compound which stimulates activity of one or more enzymes required in the ornithine-urea cycle.

Abstract: The present invention provides stabilized pancreas products useful, for example, as an animal feed additives. The invention also provides for feed additives and feed rations comprising a stabilized pancreas product. Further, the invention provides for methods of making stabilized pancreas products. The present invention also provides for methods of supplementing an animal feed utilizing stabilized pancreas products.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed that provide for the preservation of living human and other cells at room temperature or higher temperatures which can be applied to research, medical and defense applications. These methods represent a significant improvement relative to currently used methods that employ preservation at cryogenic temperatures. Using these methods, living human and other cells can be stored at room temperature or higher, and subsequently be recovered as living cells capable of dividing and exhibiting other well recognized properties of living cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preparing optically active 3-hydroxypentanenitrile with high yield. Optically active 3-hydroxypentanenitrile is prepared by stereoselectively reducing 3-ketopentanenitrile by action of an enzyme, which asymmetrically reduces 3-ketopentanenitrile to optically active 3-hydroxypentanenitrile. Also, alkali metal salt of 3-ketopentanenitrile, which is a stable compound without problems regarding storage, can be efficiently obtained.

Abstract: Processes for the production of a product by the enzymatic treatment of a soluble or particulate substrate with a particulate, immobilized enzyme, by treating a process liquor containing the substrate in a bioreactor to produce a slurry of effluent immobilized enzyme and the product in an effluent liquor. The slurry is subject to a non-immobilized enzyme damaging shear inducing effective separation process to provide effluent immobilized enzyme, and effluent liquor containing the product; and reusing the effluent immobilized enzyme in the enzymatic treatment. The process provides for the reclamation and reuse of the immobilized enzyme even when a further particulate solid is present in the effluent/product stream.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of retinal disorders associated with neovascularization using topical ophthalmic compositions comprising hydroxamic acid matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors such as batimastat.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for obtaining a highly enriched TGF-beta protein fraction in activated form, from a liquid solution rich in proteins said to be soluble in the aqueous phase of milk and/or of whey, said method comprising the following steps; a) adjusting soluble proteins purified at a concentration between 5 and 30 g/liter of solution; b) precipitating part of the whey proteins by acidic treatment of the solution thus obtained to a pH ranging between 4 and 5.5 and at a temperature ranging between 55° C. and 68° C.; c) carrying out a microfiltration of the treated solution by diafiltration, so as to obtain respectively a microfiltration retentate and a microfiltrate; d) recuperating the microfiltration retentate containing the protein fraction highly enriched in TGF-beta; e) drying the microfiltration retentate which has been subjected to diafiltration to obtain a powder highly enriched in TGF-beta.