Abstract: The present invention provides water-soluble reactive esters of carboxy polysaccharides and derivatives thereof. The reactive carboxy polysaccharide derivatives are useful per se in aqueous solutions or specifically for the formation of water-soluble covalent fibrinogen conjugates. A preferred conjugate is a hyaluronic acid-fibrinogen conjugate and fibrin adhesive, clot or matrix derived from it. Methods of preparation and methods of use in tissue repair and regeneration are also disclosed.

Abstract: Mixtures, such as gels or pastes, comprising freeze-milled cartilage particles and exogenous growth factors are used for repairing chondral defects. Such mixtures may be applied to constructs comprising cancellous bone for implantation at the defect site. Suitable growth factors include variants of FGF-2, particularly variants that include a sole amino acid substitution for asparagine at amino acid 111 of the ?8-?9 loop of the FGF-2 peptide. Such FGF-2 variants are released slowly and continuously at a constant rate from cartilage pastes. In other embodiments, the amino acid substituted for asparigine is glycine. Other variants that may be used include FGF-9 variants having truncated chains and a sole amino acid substitution in the ?8-?9 loop of the FGF-9 peptide either for tryptophan at amino acid 144 or for asparagine at amino acid 143.

Abstract: The present invention provides water-soluble reactive esters of carboxy polysaccharides and derivatives thereof. The reactive carboxy polysaccharide derivatives are useful per se in aqueous solutions or specifically for the formation of water-soluble covalent fibrinogen conjugates. A preferred conjugate is a hyaluronic acid-fibrinogen conjugate and fibrin adhesive, clot or matrix derived from it. Methods of preparation and methods of use in tissue repair and regeneration are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to porous freeze-dried plasma protein matrices having an open channel structure and a concentration gradient of plasma proteins crosslinked by the action of thrombin, and methods of producing said matrices. The compositions of the present invention are useful clinically, per se or as cell-bearing implants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to porous freeze-dried plasma protein matrices having an open channel structure and a concentration gradient of plasma proteins crosslinked by the action of thrombin, and methods of producing said matrices. The compositions of the present invention are useful clinically, per se or as cell-bearing implants.