Integra Lifesciences Corporation

Timothy Irvin Malaney

Michael D Pierschbacher

George L Brode

Juerg F Tschopp

Ralph-Heiko Mattern

John Kemnitzer

Robert Minasyan

Fred Cahn

Compositions of cross-linked collagen and a glycosaminoglycan are provided which retain characteristics rendering them useful as tissue engineering matrices or scaffolds following terminal sterilization. Also provided are methods for producing these compositions and terminally sterilized matrices or scaffolds from these compositions as well as methods of using these matrices or scaffolds as tissue engineering devices.

Collagen/glycosaminoglycan matrix stable to sterilizing by electron beam radiation

A process for selectively modifying pendent functionalities of a polymer containing the pendent functionalities and hydrolytically unstable backbone functionalities is provided. The process includes: (a) providing the polymer in a solvent system (preferably an ether-containing solvent system) adapted to maintain the polymer in a dissolved or partially dissolved state, wherein the pendent functionalities of the polymer are more accessible than the hydrolytically unstable backbone functionalities; and (b) adding at least one additive to the solvent system to selectively modify at least one of the pendent functionalities. The process is especially well suited for specifically acid hydrolyzing pendent esters of PDTE.

Selective modification of pendent functionalities of polymers

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Chula Vista, CA, United States of America

Timothy Irvin Malaney