Abstract: Disclosed herein are details of a hermetically or aseptically sealed bioreactor. The bioreactor comprises a bioreactor chamber, a membrane wall, a scaffold structure, a linear actuator, a linear transfer means, and a control system. Use of the bioreactor permits the inner scaffold structure to be moved and manipulated while still preserving a hermetic or aseptic seal inside the bioreactor chamber during operation.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of culturing organized skeletal muscle tissue from precursor muscle cells by cyclically stretching and relaxing said muscle cells on a support in vitro for a time sufficient to produce said organized skeletal muscle tissue, including reseeding said organized skeletal muscle tissue by contacting additional precursor muscle cells to said organized skeletal muscle tissue on said solid support, and then repeating said step of cyclically stretching and relaxing said muscle cells in said support in vitro for time sufficient to enhance the density (i.e., increased number of nuclei and/or number of multinucleated cells) of said organized skeletal muscle tissue on said support.

Abstract: Provided herein are scaffolds and methods useful to promote the formation of functional clusters on a tissue, for example, motor endplates (MEPs) or a component thereof on skeletal muscle cells or tissue, as well as the use of scaffolds so produced for repairing a tissue injury or defect.

Abstract: Provided herein are scaffolds and methods useful to promote the formation of functional clusters on a tissue, for example, motor endplates (MEPs) or a component thereof on skeletal muscle cells or tissue, as well as the use of scaffolds so produced for repairing a tissue injury or defect.

Abstract: Provided herein are scaffolds and methods useful to promote the formation of functional clusters on a tissue, for example, motor endplates (MEPs) or a component thereof on skeletal muscle cells or tissue, as well as the use of scaffolds so produced for repairing a tissue injury or defect.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of culturing organized skeletal muscle tissue from precursor muscle cells by cyclically stretching and relaxing said muscle cells on a support in vitro for a time sufficient to produce said organized skeletal muscle tissue, including reseeding said organized skeletal muscle tissue by contacting additional precursor muscle cells to said organized skeletal muscle tissue on said solid support, and then repeating said step of cyclically stretching and relaxing said muscle cells in said support in vitro for time sufficient to enhance the density (i.e., increased number of nuclei and/or number of multinucleated cells) of said organized skeletal muscle tissue on said support.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of culturing organized skeletal muscle tissue from precursor muscle cells by cyclically stretching and relaxing said muscle cells on a support in vitro for a time sufficient to produce said organized skeletal muscle tissue, including reseeding said organized skeletal muscle tissue by contacting additional precursor muscle cells to said organized skeletal muscle tissue on said solid support, and then repeating said step of cyclically stretching and relaxing said muscle cells in said support in vitro for time sufficient to enhance the density (i.e., increased number of nuclei and/or number of multinucleated cells) of said organized skeletal muscle tissue on said support.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of regulating smooth muscle tone in a subject, comprising the introduction, into smooth muscle cells of the subject, of a DNA sequence encoding a potassium channel protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone, and expression of the DNA sequence in a sufficient number of smooth muscle cells of the subject to regulate smooth muscle tone in the subject. The invention provides methods of gene transfer for treating erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, and other smooth muscle disorders.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing a bioscaffold from natural tissues by oxidizing a decellularized tissue to produce a bioscaffold having pores therein. The pore size and porosity is increased to better accommodate intact cells so that live cells can better infiltrate and inhabit the bioscaffold. The bioscaffold may be freeze-dried or lyophilized, sterilized and (optionally) aseptically packaged for subsequent use. A further aspect of the present invention is a bioscaffold produced by the processes described herein. Methods of treatment using the bioscaffold as a graft or as a biomedical implant for implantation are also provided. Also provided are methods of seeding a bioscaffold with mammalian cells, wherein the seeding carried out either in vitro or in vivo, and wherein a bioscaffold produced as described herein is utilized for said seeding.

Abstract: Provided herein are scaffolds and methods useful to promote the formation of functional clusters on a tissue, for example, motor endplates (MEPs) or a component thereof on skeletal muscle cells or tissue, as well as the use of scaffolds so produced for repairing a tissue injury or defect.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of regulating smooth muscle tone in a subject, comprising the introduction, into smooth muscle cells of the subject, of a DNA sequence encoding a potassium channel protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone, and expression of the DNA sequence in a sufficient number of smooth muscle cells of the subject to regulate smooth muscle tone in the subject. The invention provides methods of gene transfer for treating erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, and other smooth muscle disorders.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing a bioscaffold from natural tissues by oxidizing a decellularized tissue to produce a bioscaffold having pores therein. The pore size and porosity is increased to better accommodate intact cells so that live cells can better infiltrate and inhabit the bioscaffold. The bioscaffold may be freeze-dried or lyophilized, sterilized and (optionally) aseptically packaged for subsequent use. A further aspect of the present invention is a bioscaffold produced by the processes described herein. Methods of treatment using the bioscaffold as a graft or as a biomedical implant for implantation are also provided. Also provided are methods of seeding a bioscaffold with mammalian cells, wherein the seeding carried out either in vitro or in vivo, and wherein a bioscaffold produced as described herein is utilized for said seeding.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing a bioscaffold from natural tissues by oxidizing a decellularized tissue to produce a bioscaffold having pores therein. The pore size and porosity is increased to better accommodate intact cells so that live cells can better infiltrate and inhabit the bioscaffold. The bioscaffold may be freeze-dried or lyophilized, sterilized and (optionally) aseptically packaged for subsequent use. A further aspect of the present invention is a bioscaffold produced by the processes described herein. Methods of treatment using the bioscaffold as a graft or as a biomedical implant for implantation are also provided. Also provided are methods of seeding a bioscaffold with mammalian cells, wherein the seeding carried out either in vitro or in vivo, and wherein a bioscaffold produced as described herein is utilized for said seeding.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing a bioscaffold from natural tissues by oxidizing a decellularized tissue to produce a bioscaffold having pores therein. The pore size and porosity is increased to better accommodate intact cells so that live cells can better infiltrate and inhabit the bioscaffold. The bioscaffold may be freeze-dried or lyophilized, sterilized and (optionally) aseptically packaged for subsequent use. A further aspect of the present invention is a bioscaffold produced by the processes described herein. Methods of treatment using the bioscaffold as a graft or as a biomedical implant for implantation are also provided. Also provided are methods of seeding a bioscaffold with mammalian cells, wherein the seeding carried out either in vitro or in vivo, and wherein a bioscaffold produced as described herein is utilized for said seeding.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing a bioscaffold from natural tissues by oxidizing a decellularized tissue to produce a bioscaffold having pores therein. The pore size and porosity is increased to better accommodate intact cells so that live cells can better infiltrate and inhabit the bioscaffold. The bioscaffold may be freeze-dried or lyophilized, sterilized and (optionally) aseptically packaged for subsequent use. A further aspect of the present invention is a bioscaffold produced by the processes described herein. Methods of treatment using the bioscaffold as a graft or as a biomedical implant for implantation are also provided. Also provided are methods of seeding a bioscaffold with mammalian cells, wherein the seeding carried out either in vitro or in vivo, and wherein a bioscaffold produced as described herein is utilized for said seeding.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of regulating smooth muscle tone in a subject, comprising the introduction, into smooth muscle cells of the subject, of a DNA sequence encoding a potassium channel protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone, and expression of the DNA sequence in a sufficient number of smooth muscle cells of the subject to regulate smooth muscle tone in the subject. The invention provides methods of gene transfer for treating erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, and other smooth muscle disorders.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing a bioscaffold from natural tissues by oxidizing a decellularized tissue to produce a bioscaffold having pores therein. The pore size and porosity is increased to better accommodate intact cells so that live cells can better infiltrate and inhabit the bioscaffold. The bioscaffold may be freeze-dried or lyophilized, sterilized and (optionally) aseptically packaged for subsequent use. A further aspect of the present invention is a bioscaffold produced by the processes described herein. Methods of treatment using the bioscaffold as a graft or as a biomedical implant for implantation are also provided. Also provided are methods of seeding a bioscaffold with mammalian cells, wherein the seeding carried out either in vitro or in vivo, and wherein a bioscaffold produced as described herein is utilized for said seeding.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method of regulating smooth muscle tone, comprising the introduction, into smooth muscle cells of a subject, of a DNA sequence encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone, and expression of the DNA sequence in a sufficient number of smooth muscle cells of the subject to regulate smooth muscle tone in the subject. Specifically, the invention provides methods of gene therapy for treating erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, and other smooth muscle disorders. The present invention also provides recombinant viral and non-viral vectors comprising DNA encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone. Further provided by the present invention is a smooth muscle cell which expresses a gene encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method of regulating smooth muscle tone, comprising the introduction, into smooth muscle cells of a subject, of a DNA sequence encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone, and expression of the DNA sequence in a sufficient number of smooth muscle cells of the subject to regulate smooth muscle tone in the subject. Specifically, the invention provides methods of gene therapy for treating erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, and other smooth muscle disorders. The present invention also provides recombinant viral and non-viral vectors comprising DNA encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone. Further provided by the present invention is a smooth muscle cell which expresses a gene encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method of regulating smooth muscle tone, comprising the introduction, into smooth muscle cells of a subject, of a DNA sequence encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone, and expression of the DNA sequence in a sufficient number of smooth muscle cells of the subject to regulate smooth muscle tone in the subject. Specifically, the invention provides methods of gene therapy for treating erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, and other smooth muscle disorders. The present invention also provides recombinant viral and non-viral vectors comprising DNA encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone. Further provided by the present invention is a smooth muscle cell which expresses a gene encoding a protein involved in the regulation of smooth muscle tone.