University of California

Ann E Oliver

John H Crowe

Fern Tablin

Lois M Crowe

Nelly M Tsvetkova

Willem F Wolkers

Lisa M Hays

Robert E Feeney

Thurein M Htoo

Naomi J Walker

A device for holding substances during drying comprising a flask having a structure defining an opening. A pair of contiguous or juxtaposed filters is disposed in the opening. A freeze-drying assembly comprising a freeze-drying apparatus, and the device disposed in the apparatus for holding substances during freeze-drying processing. A method for processing a substance under sterile conditions comprising disposing a substance in a flask, positioning the flask in a drying apparatus, and passing a drying medium through a pair of juxtaposed filters for drying the substance.

Flask and method for drying biological materials

A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried platelets. The platelets are loaded with trehalose which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. The trehalose loading is conducted at a temperature of from greater than about 25&deg; C. to less than about 40&deg; C., most preferably at 37&deg; C., with the loading solution having trehalose in an amount from about 10 mM to about 50 mM. These freeze-dried platelets are substantially shelf-stable and are rehydratable so as to have a normal response to an agonist, for example, thrombin, with virtually all of the platelets participating in clot formation within about three minutes at 37&deg; C.

Therapeutic platelets and methods

Leakage from liposomes or biological cells and structural damage, which occur upon cooling through the thermotropic phase transition temperature and upon storage at temperatures below the phase transition temperature are reduced or eliminated by incorporating thermal hysteresis proteins in the liposome or cell structure. Preferred thermal hysteresis proteins are antifreeze proteins and antifreeze glycoproteins from polar fish species, and chromatographic fraction no. 8 of antifreeze glycoproteins has been found to be particularly effective.

Prevention of leakage and phase separation during thermotropic phase

Growing community of inventors

Davis, CA, United States of America

Ann E Oliver