Mcgill University

Dusica Maysinger

Robert H Marchessault

Lawrence Rosenberg

Adi Eisenberg

Christine Allen

Geoffrey Alan Nobes

The present invention relates to a medium for promoting the survival of islet cells, which comprises one or more growth factors in combination with FK506 in amounts having an anti-apoptotic effect on islet cells in a physiologically acceptable culture medium.

Medium to promote islet cell survival

The present invention relates to diblock copolymers and more particularly to polycaprolactone-b-polyethylene oxide (PCL-b-PEO) diblock copolymers used in micellar systems, for delivering a biologically active agent to a site. There is provided a diblock copolymer compound comprising a hydrophilic block and a hydrophobic block, the hydrophilic block comprising a polyethylene oxide (PEO) polymer, the hydrophobic block comprising a polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer, the PCL polymer comprising a number of caprolactone monomers selected from 5 to 150, the PEO polymer comprising a number of ethylene oxide monomers selected from 30 to 100. The diblock copolymer compound of the present invention may be used to form a micellar delivery system for delivering biologically active agents such as lipophilic drugs to sites such as the central nervous system. The hydrophobic reservoir obtained enables a larger amount of agent to be incorporated therein, with a slower release and without the damaging effects that such high doses would induce with known delivery systems.

Diblock copolymer and use thereof in a micellar drug delivery system

A hydrophilic or lipophilic drug is entrapped or microencapsulated in a polyhydroxyalkanoate homopolymer or copolymer. The homopolymer or copolymer is synthesized in an aqueous medium containing a dissolved hydrophilic drug by in vitro enzyme polymerization of a hydroxyalkanoate Coenzyme A monomer to form microporous granules entrapping the drug. The enzyme may be a polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase, and the monomer may be 3-hydroxybutyryl Coenzyme A or 3-hydroxyvalerate Coenzyme A. The monomer is produced by reaction of a carboxylic acid group of a hydroxyalkanoic acid with a thiol group of Coenzyme A. To microencapsulate a lipophilic drug, droplets of oil containing a lipophilic drug are formed dispersed in an aqueous medium such as in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion. The polyhydroxyalkanoate homopolymer or copolymer is formed in the aqueous medium by the enzyme polymerization to form microcapsules having a core of oil containing the drug. The granules or microcapsules containing the drug may be dried.

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Montreal, Canada

Dusica Maysinger