Abstract: Described are methods of making vascular grafts from man-made tubular scaffolds, tubular scaffolds, and methods implanting vascular grafts comprising tubular scaffolds into subjects. The tubular scaffolds of the present invention are made of hydrogel nanofibers that have internally aligned polymer chains and may be cellularized.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for enriching and expanding antigen-specific T cells with paramagnetic nanoparticles comprising a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and a costimulatory molecule bound thereto. The platform eliminates the requirement of cell isolation and can be further adapted to be high throughput with the capability of processing multiple antigen-specific T cells in parallel. Accordingly, the disclosed methods provide a high-throughput workflow for the identification and analysis of antigen-specific T cell responses.

Abstract: A composite material can include a gel and at least one nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for healing a soft tissue defect can include applying a composite material to a soft tissue defect, wherein the composite material includes a gel and a nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for manufacturing a composite material for use in healing soft tissue defects can include providing a gel and disposing nanofibers within the gel.

Abstract: A process and a device for continuous micromixing of two fluids is disclosed. The process and the device can be used in particular when micromixing plays an important role, for example, in the yield and characteristics of the products. This is the case for crystallization, precipitation and combustion reactions and for micelle assembly or polyelectrolyte complexation processes.

Abstract: A composite material can include a gel and at least one nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for healing a soft tissue defect can include applying a composite material to a soft tissue defect, wherein the composite material includes a gel and a nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for manufacturing a composite material for use in healing soft tissue defects can include providing a gel and disposing nanofibers within the gel.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides methods for continuously generating uniform polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) nanoparticles comprising: flowing a first stream comprising one or more water-soluble polycationic polymers at a first variable flow rate into a confined chamber; flowing a second stream comprising one or more water-soluble polyanionic polymers at a second variable flow rate into the confined chamber; and impinging the first stream and the second stream in the confined chamber until the Reynolds number is from about 1,000 to about 20,000, thereby causing the one or more water-soluble polycationic polymers and the one or more water-soluble polyanionic polymers to undergo a polyelectrolyte complexation process that continuously generates PEC nanoparticles. Compositions produced from the presently disclosed methods and a device for producing the compositions are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention belongs to the technical field of nanomedicine, and relates to a method for preparing a therapeutic protein-loaded nanoparticle, as well as a therapeutic protein-loaded nanoparticle, a suspension and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the nanoparticle, and a pharmaceutical preparation comprising the nanoparticle, the suspension or the pharmaceutical composition. The present invention further relates to a use of the nanoparticle in manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition, wherein the pharmaceutical composition is useful in prevention or treatment of a disease that can be prevented or treated by the therapeutic protein comprised in the nanoparticle.

Abstract: An aluminum nanoparticle adjuvant carrier system with stabilizing surface coatings that can efficiently deliver protein or nucleic acid antigen payloads to naive, resident APCs is disclosed.

Abstract: Embolization compositions and methods for controlling undesired bleeding and other treatments are provided. Preferred composition may comprise (a) a crosslinked hydrogel material; and (b) a fiber material, wherein the composition comprises a plurality of macropores; and the hydrogel material and fiber material are bonded by covalent and/or non-covalent bonds.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides nanoparticles comprising bortezomib encapsulated in a non-water-soluble polymer matrix in a form of a bortezomib-tannic acid complex; methods for preparing the nanoparticle; and use of the nanoparticles for treating liver cancer.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides a kinetically controlled mixing process, referred to herein as “flash nanocomplexation” or “(FNC),” to accelerate the mixing of a polyanion solution, for example, a plasmid DNA solution, with a polycation solution to match the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) assembly kinetics through turbulent mixing in a microchamber, thus achieving explicit control of the kinetic conditions for nanoparticle assembly as demonstrated by the tunability of nanoparticle size, composition, hydrodynamic size, hydrodynamic density, surface charge, and polyanion payload.

Abstract: A composite material can include a gel and at least one nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for healing a soft tissue defect can include applying a composite material to a soft tissue defect, wherein the composite material includes a gel and a nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for manufacturing a composite material for use in healing soft tissue defects can include providing a gel and disposing nanofibers within the gel.

Abstract: The presently disclosed composition and methods are provided for a hydrogel or nanofiber-hydrogel composite integrated with a surgical scaffold or mesh. A surgical scaffold device comprised of laminar composite is disclosed for the purpose of reducing foreign body response, managing tissue-materials interface, and improving the integration of the surgical mesh with the surrounding tissue of a subject.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides methods for continuously generating uniform polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) nanoparticles comprising: flowing a first stream comprising one or more water-soluble polycationic polymers at a first variable flow rate into a confined chamber; flowing a second stream comprising one or more water-soluble polyanionic polymers at a second variable flow rate into the confined chamber; and impinging the first stream and the second stream in the confined chamber until the Reynolds number is from about 1,000 to about 20,000, thereby causing the one or more water-soluble polycationic polymers and the one or more water-soluble polyanionic polymers to undergo a polyelectrolyte complexation process that continuously generates PEC nanoparticles. Compositions produced from the presently disclosed methods and a device for producing the compositions are also disclosed.

Abstract: Nanoparticle are described comprising a tannic acid, a trivalent metal ion, and a pharmaceutical agent comprising a water-soluble biologically active agent, such as a protein, a water-soluble peptide, small molecule or a combination thereof and methods of making and using the nanoparticles. Some nanoparticles of the present invention include 30-60% (w/w) of a tannic acid, 0.1-20% (w/w) of a trivalent metal ion, and 1-50% (w/w) of a pharmaceutical agent.

Abstract: Provided herein is a composition comprising a hydrogel having a shear modulus of about 20 Pa to about 1600 Pa conjugated with anti-CD3 antibodies and anti-CD28 antibodies. Also provided are methods of activating T cells and methods of killing cancer cells using the hydrogel composition.

Abstract: The presently disclosed composition and methods are provided for a hydrogel or nanofiber-hydrogel composite integrated with a surgical scaffold or mesh. A surgical scaffold device comprised of laminar composite is disclosed for the purpose of reducing foreign body response, managing tissue-materials interface, and improving the integration of the surgical mesh with the surrounding tissue of a subject.

Abstract: Compositions comprising a polymeric micellar nanoparticle composition comprising a block or graft copolymer comprising at least one polycationic polymer and at least one polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer having an average molecular weight less than 1 kDa, and at least one nucleic acid, wherein the graft or block copolymer and at least one nucleic acid are complexed and condensed into a shaped micellar nanoparticle that is stable in biological media are disclosed. The presently disclosed subject matter also provides a method for preparing the presently disclosed polymeric micellar nanoparticle compositions, a method for targeting at least one metastatic cancer cell in a subject, and a method for treating a disease or condition using the presently disclosed polymeric micellar nanoparticle compositions.

Abstract: A composite material can include a gel and at least one nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for healing a soft tissue defect can include applying a composite material to a soft tissue defect, wherein the composite material includes a gel and a nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for manufacturing a composite material for use in healing soft tissue defects can include providing a gel and disposing nanofibers within the gel.

Abstract: A composite material can include a gel and at least one nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for healing a soft tissue defect can include applying a composite material to a soft tissue defect, wherein the composite material includes a gel and a nanostructure disposed within the gel. A method for manufacturing a composite material for use in healing soft tissue defects can include providing a gel and disposing nanofibers within the gel.