Locate Therapeutics Limited

Ipsen Biopharm Limited

Ipsen Developments Limited

Regentec Limited

Richard Melville France

Robin Andrew Quirk

Andrew Martin Pickett

Lisa Anne Riccalton-Banks

A porous matrix suitable for use as a tissue scaffold is described. The matrix may be shaped before insertion into or at the target tissue site, or injected via a minimally invasive method. The matrix may be pre-seeded with cells of the target tissue or may be used to support growth of the local endogenous tissue. The matrix may contain growth factors or other pharmacologically acceptable moieties such as antibiotics.

Porous matrix

The invention relates to a method for determining the quantity of pre-synaptic neuromuscular blocking substance (notably botulinum toxin) contained in a sample. In one aspects, the method comprises the following steps: (i) determining the minimum voltage Vneeded to induce the contraction of muscle tissue, said muscle tissue being connected to an electrical stimulator through a motor nerve and preferably immersed in an oxygenated physiological buffer containing glucose; (ii) adding the sample containing the pre-synaptic neuromuscular blocking substance; (iii) electrically stimulating, at a voltage at least equal to V, the muscle tissue at certain time intervals; (iv) comparing the effect induced by the sample to the effect induced by a reference substance and thereby determining the quantity of the pre-synaptic neuromuscular blocking substance in the sample.

Quantification of botulinum toxin

The present invention relates to a method for determining the selectivity of a pre-synaptic neuromuscular blocking substance for striated muscle or smooth muscle. The method comprises measuring the effect induced by a pre-determined quantity of pre-synaptic neuromuscular blocking substance upon electrically stimulating striated muscle tissue, measuring the effect induced by a pre-determined quantity of a pre-synaptic neuromuscular blocking substance upon electrically stimulating smooth muscle tissue, and calculating a quotient of the results obtained in order to determine the selectivity of the pre-synaptic neuromuscular blocking substance for striated muscle or for smooth muscle.

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Nottingham, United Kingdom

Richard Melville France