Abstract: The present application relates to a lyophilized scaffold composition having at least one polysaccharide wherein said scaffold is substantially solid and capable of being formed into a desired shape; wherein the at least one polysaccharide has a protonation level resulting in controlled rehydration of said scaffold, such that when said scaffold is contacted with at least one of a neutral aqueous solution, blood, blood derived fluid and combinations thereof, said scaffold forms a microparticle dispersion and stimulates tissue remodeling and anabolic wound repair, a process for preparing a lyophilized scaffold composition and the use of a lyophilized scaffold composition for wound repair in a mammal.

Abstract: The present application relates to a lyophilized scaffold composition having at least one polysaccharide wherein said scaffold is substantially solid and capable of being formed into a desired shape; wherein the at least one polysaccharide has a protonation level resulting in controlled rehydration of said scaffold, such that when said scaffold is contacted with at least one of a neutral aqueous solution, blood, blood derived fluid and combinations thereof, said scaffold forms a microparticle dispersion and stimulates tissue remodeling and anabolic wound repair, a process for preparing a lyophilized scaffold composition and the use of a lyophilized scaffold composition for wound repair in a mammal.

Abstract: The present application relates to a freeze-dried polymer composition containing chitosan and at least one lyoprotectant, a process for preparing a freeze-dried composition containing chitosan and at least one lyoprotectant and the use of a reconstituted freeze-dried chitosan composition to prepare implants for tissue repair.

Abstract: The present application relates to a freeze-dried polymer composition containing chitosan and at least one lyoprotectant, a process for preparing a freeze-dried composition containing chitosan and at least one lyoprotectant and the use of a reconstituted freeze-dried chitosan composition to prepare implants for tissue repair.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composition and a method for the efficient delivery of a therapeutic RNAi-inducing nucleic acid to cells both in vitro and in vivo through specific formulations of a non viral delivery system using chitosans. Particularly, the composition contains a nucleic acid and a specific chitosan that has the following physico-chemical properties: a number-average molecular weight between 5 kDa and 200 kDa, a degree of deacetylation between 80% and 95% and a chitosan amine to nucleic acid phosphate ratio below 20.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a nucleic acid delivery composition comprising a coated chitosan-based polyplex, wherein the coated chitosan-based polyplex comprises: a chitosan; an isolated nucleic acid; and an additional polyelectrolyte. The coated chitosan-based polyplex has an initial or a final molar ratio of amine groups of chitosan (N) to phosphate groups of the nucleic acid (P) to carboxyl groups of the additional polyelectrolyte (C) (N:P:C), wherein the N has a value between about 1.0 and about 10.5, the P has a value between about 1.0 and about 2.0 and the C has a value between about 1.0 and 10.5.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composition and a method for the efficient delivery of a therapeutic RNAi-inducing nucleic acid to cells both in vitro and in vivo through specific formulations of a non viral delivery system using chitosans. Particularly, the composition contains a nucleic acid and a specific chitosan that has the following physico-chemical properties: a number-average molecular weight between 5 kDa and 200 kDa, a degree of deacetylation between 80% and 95% and a chitosan amine to nucleic acid phosphate ratio below 20.

Abstract: The present application relates to a lyophilized scaffold composition having at least one polysaccharide wherein said scaffold is substantially solid and capable of being formed into a desired shape; wherein the at least one polysaccharide has a protonation level resulting in controlled rehydration of said scaffold, such that when said scaffold is contacted with at least one of a neutral aqueous solution, blood, blood derived fluid and combinations thereof, said scaffold forms a microparticle dispersion and stimulates tissue remodeling and anabolic wound repair, a process for preparing a lyophilized scaffold composition and the use of a lyophilized scaffold composition for wound repair in a mammal.

Abstract: The present application relates to a freeze-dried polymer composition containing chitosan and at least one lyoprotectant, a process for preparing a freeze-dried composition containing chitosan and at least one lyoprotectant and the use of a reconstituted freeze-dried chitosan composition to prepare implants for tissue repair.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composition and a method for the efficient delivery of a therapeutic RNAi-inducing nucleic acid to cells both in vitro and in vivo through specific formulations of a non viral delivery system using chitosans. Particularly, the composition contains a nucleic acid and a specific chitosan that has the following physico-chemical properties: a number-average molecular weight between 5 kDa and 200 kDa, a degree of deacetylation between 80% and 95% and a chitosan amine to nucleic acid phosphate ratio below 20.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polyelectrolyte complex composition comprising a polymer, a nucleic acid molecule, a lyoprotectant, and a buffer. The polyelectrolyte complex composition preserving the biological activities of the polyelectrolyte complex following freeze-drying and rehydration.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composition and a method for the efficient delivery of a therapeutic RNAi-inducing nucleic acid to cells both in vitro and in vivo through specific formulations of a non viral delivery system using chitosans. Particularly, the composition contains a nucleic acid and a specific chitosan that has the following physico-chemical properties: a number-average molecular weight between 5 kDa and 200 kDa, a degree of deacetylation between 80% and 95% and a chitosan amine to nucleic acid phosphate ratio below 20.

Abstract: Chitosan delivers a plasmid encoding Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) to cells in a patient for gene therapy of diabetes. Chitosan is optimized for plasmid transfection by modulating three of its physico-chemical properties: degree of deacetylation (DDA), molecular weight (MW), and ratio of amines on chitosan to phosphates on DNA (N:P ratio), Chitosan 92-10-5 (DDA-MW-N:P) is more efficient than chitosans 80-10-10 and 80-80-5 in delivering a plasmid encoding luciferase or GLP-1(7-37) to cells. In the Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rat model of diabetes, chitosan-delivered pVax plasmid encoding GLP-1 lowers glucose levels, increases insulin production and reduces weight gain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new method for repairing human or animal tissues such as cartilage, meniscus, ligament, tendon, bone, skin, cornea, periodontal tissues, abscesses, resected tumors, and ulcers. The method comprises the step of introducing into the tissue a temperature-dependent polymer gel composition such that the composition adhere to the tissue and promote support for cell proliferation for repairing the tissue. Other than a polymer, the composition preferably comprises a blood component such as whole blood, processed blood, venous blood, arterial blood, blood from bone, blood from bone-marrow, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placenta blood, erythrocytes, leukocytes, monocytes, platelets, fibrinogen, thrombin and platelet rich plasma. The present invention also relates to a new composition to be used with the method of the present invention.

Abstract: There is disclosed aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes that can be neutralized by increasing temperature, under suitable polyelectrolyte charge state conditions, in order to obtain a homogeneous gel. This can be achieved by adding an appropriate weak electrolyte to the polyelectrolyte so that an increase of temperature will lead to a spatially homogeneous neutralization of the polyelectrolyte via proton transfer between the polyelectrolyte and the weak electrolyte. The ability of such a system to be thermally sensitive and to gel upon heating relies on the temperature dependence of the ionization equilibrium for the two components. This thermally induced neutralization reduces electrostatic repulsion between polyelectrolyte molecules allowing the manifestation of attractive polyelectrolyte-polyelectrolyte hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding that result in gel formation. These new kinds of thermo sensitive gels can be used for biomedical applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new method for repairing human or animal tissues such as cartilage, meniscus, ligament, tendon, bone, skin, cornea, periodontal tissues, abscesses, resected tumors, and ulcers. The method comprises the step of introducing into the tissue a temperature-dependent polymer gel composition such that the composition adhere to the tissue and promote support for cell proliferation for repairing the tissue. Other than a polymer, the composition preferably comprises a blood component such as whole blood, processed blood, venous blood, arterial blood, blood from bone, blood from bone-marrow, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placenta blood, erythrocytes, leukocytes, monocytes, platelets, fibrinogen, thrombin and platelet rich plasma. The present invention also relates to a new composition to be used with the method of the present invention.

Abstract: A method for performing holes in subchondral bone to promote cartilage repair comprises selecting a drill burr having a drilling head and an axial stop, as a function of the distance between the tip of the drilling head and the axial stop and of a desired depth to reach a desired subchondral bone marrow compartment of a patient; drilling a hole through a base of a cartilage lesion with the drill burr to reach the desired subchondral bone marrow compartment of the patient; abutting the base of the cartilage lesion defining a periphery of the hole with the axial stop while drilling; and withdrawing the drill burr from the hole; whereby the hole has the desired depth and reaches the desired subchondral bone marrow compartment to promote cartilage repair.

Abstract: There is disclosed aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes that can be neutralized by increasing temperature, under suitable polyelectrolyte charge state conditions, in order to obtain a homogeneous gel. This can be achieved by adding an appropriate weak electrolyte to the polyelectrolyte so that an increase of temperature will lead to a spatially homogeneous neutralization of the polyelectrolyte via proton transfer between the polyelectrolyte and the weak electrolyte. The ability of such a system to be thermally sensitive and to gel upon heating relies on the temperature dependence of the ionization equilibrium for the two components. This thermally induced neutralization reduces electrostatic repulsion between polyelectrolyte molecules allowing the manifestation of attractive polyelectrolyte-polyelectrolyte hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding that result in gel formation. These new kinds of thermo sensitive gels can be used for biomedical applications.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composition and a method for the efficient non-viral delivery of nucleic acids to cells using chitosan. In order to achieve high efficiency of transfection, the composition contains a nucleic acid and a chitosan that has the following physico-chemical properties: a combination of a number-average molecular weight between 8 kDa and 185 kDa and a degree of deacetylation between 72% and 92%. The chitosan molecule can also present additional physiochemical properties such as a block distribution of acetyl groups obtained by a heterogeneous treatment of chitin, and/or a polydispersity index between 1.4 and 7.0. By correctly controlling these parameters, efficient delivery systems may be produced that are effective when optimized for different conditions such as the pH of transfection media and amine-to-phosphate ratio.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new method for repairing human or animal tissues such as cartilage, meniscus, ligament, tendon, bone, skin, cornea, periodontal tissues, abscesses, resected tumors, and ulcers. The method comprises the step of introducing into the tissue a temperature-dependent polymer gel composition such that the composition adhere to the tissue and promote support for cell proliferation for repairing the tissue. Other than a polymer, the composition preferably comprises a blood component such as whole blood, processed blood, venous blood, arterial blood, blood from bone, blood from bone-marrow, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placenta blood, erythrocytes, leukocytes, monocytes, platelets, fibrinogen, thrombin and platelet rich plasma. The present invention also relates to a new composition to be used with the method of the present invention.