Vanderbilt University

The United States Government As Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs

Jeffrey M Davidson

John P Wikswo

Craig L Duvall

Philip C Samson

Mukesh Kumar Gupta

Ales Prokop

Scott A Guelcher

Kirk B Lane

Mikhail M Dikov

Christopher E Nelson

Richard Light

Stephen R Koch

Elizabeth J Adolph

Veniamin Yu Sidorov

Joshua M Shannon

James Kintzing

Phillip Williams

A device for measuring a tension of a bio-object construct as it is being stretched that includes a microscope, a holding member for accommodating the bio-object, and a probe. The microscope includes a condenser, an objective and a stage positioned therebetween. The stage is movable along a horizontal plane. The holding member is fixable on the stage. The probe has a first end attached to the condenser, and a second end placed in the holding member. The stage operably moves such that the bio-object construct moves toward the second end of the probe and contacts with the second end of the probe, thereby causing a displacement of the second end of the probe and a displacement of the bio-object construct, which are used to measure the tension of the bio-object construct.

Devices and methods for tension measurements and applications of same

The presently-disclosed subject matter includes nanoparticles that comprise a plurality of assembled polymers. In some embodiments the polymers comprise a first block that includes hydrophilic monomers, the first block substantially forming an outer shell of the nanoparticle, and a second block that includes cationic monomers and hydrophobic monomers, the second block substantially forming a core of the nanoparticle. In some embodiments a polynucleotide is provided that is bound to the cationic monomers of the nanoparticle. The presently-disclosed subject matter also comprises methods for using the present nanoparticles to include RNAi in a cell as well as methods for making the present nanoparticles.

Polymeric nanoparticles

The present invention provides a convenient polymeric film or microparticulate vehicle to deliver protein factors into appropriate body sites to induce appropriate therapeutic effects. It also improves the existing methodologies for immunoisolation of non-human pancreatic islets (via microencapsulation) to protects them from the immunologically-different host. This invention demonstrates how vascularization and angiogenesis can be induced by means of addition of proper angiogenic factors. The angiogenesis is sustained over a long period of time, depending on the release characteristics of the polymeric matrix. Three-dimensional polymeric structures (mesh or perforated tubing and film) are used as resident materials for microcapsules bearing islets. Blood capillaries are generated outside the capsules and penetrate through the implant openings to ingrow into the vicinity of capsules/islets.

Polymeric encapsulation system promoting angiogenesis

The present invention provides a method of producing a pleurodesis in a mammal, comprising introducing a therapeutically effective dose of a pharmaceutical composition comprising TGF.beta. into the pleural cavity.

Method of producing pleurodesis

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Nashville, TN, United States of America

Jeffrey M Davidson