Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic device comprising: a substrate; a culture chamber (130); a loading channel (170) in fluid communication with the culture chamber; at least one auxiliar channel (170-1, 5 170-2) extending from and in fluid communication with the loading channel, wherein the at least one auxiliary channel is so dimensioned such that a hydraulic resistance in the at least one auxiliary channel is higher than a hydraulic resistance in the loading channel; a test area (150) defined along the loading channel at a position between the loading channel and the at least one auxiliary channel; a first medium reservoir (110) in fluid communication with a first side of the test area; and a second medium reservoir (120) in fluid communication with a second side of the test area, the second side being different from the first side.

Abstract: A method of making an array having discrete volumes of cell culture micro-environments possessing different properties influencing the behavior of encapsulated cells, in particular proliferation, colony-formation, differentiation, migration, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a scaffold material comprising a carrier and embedded microbeads for use in tissue engineering applications such as soft tissues therapeutic treatment. The scaffold provides a short-term bulking effect coupled with a long-term functional activity. Both the carrier and the microbeads are substantially composed of natural or extracellular matrix-derived polymers, and the beads can comprise homogeneously distributed active agents, providing a regulated agent release along time. An aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing the microbeads of the invention by using an expressly designed microfluidic chip.

Abstract: A method of making an array having discrete volumes of cell culture micro-environments possessing different properties influencing the behavior of encapsulated cells, in particular proliferation, colony-formation, differentiation, migration, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A cell-based drug screening assay comprising the steps of: (i) culturing a cell population in a culturing environment, (ii) defining at least two monitoring points in time in dependency of at least one of the cell types, physiological characteristics of the cells, physiological characteristics of formed-tissue, the mode of action of a drug substance and the culturing environment, (iii) applying drug substances to the cultured cells at least at one treatment point in time, (iv) monitoring of the effect of the drug substance on cells or formed tissues at least at the two monitoring points in time.

Abstract: Biomaterials containing a three-dimensional polymeric network formed from the reaction of a composition containing at least a first synthetic precursor molecule having n nucleophilic groups and a second precursor molecule having m electrophilic groups wherein the sum of n+m is at least five and wherein the sum of the weights of the first and second precursor molecules is in a range from about 8 to about 16% b weight of the composition, preferably from about 10 to about 15%, more preferably from about 12 to about 14.5% by weight of the composition. In one embodiment, the first and second precursor molecules are polyethylene glycols functionalized with nucleophilic and electrophilic groups, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the nucleophilic groups are amino and/or thiol groups and the electrophilic groups are conjugated, unsaturated groups.

Abstract: The invention features polymeric biomaterials formed by nucleophilic addition reactions to conjugated unsaturated groups. These biomaterials may be used for medical treatments.

Abstract: Proteins are incorporated into protein or polysaccharide matrices for use in tissue repair, regeneration and/or remodeling and/or drug delivery. The proteins can be incorporated so that they are released by degradation of the matrix, by enzymatic action and/or diffusion. As demonstrated by the examples, one method is to bind heparin to the matrix by either covalent or non-covalent methods, to form a heparin-matrix. The heparin then non-covalently binds heparin-binding growth factors to the protein matrix. Alternatively, a fusion protein can be constructed which contains a crosslinking region such as a factor XIIIa substrate and the native protein sequence. Incorporation of degradable linkages between the matrix and the bioactive factors can be particularly useful when long-term drug delivery is desired, for example in the case of nerve regeneration, where it is desirable to vary the rate of drug release spatially as a function of regeneration, e.g.