COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR WOUND HEALING, AND FOR RECRUITMENT AND ACTIVATION OF MACROPHAGES IN INJURED TISSUES AND IN IMPLANTED BIOMATERIALS USED FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING
The present invention is related to the field of wound healing or tissue regeneration due to disease (i.e., for example, cardiovascular diseases, osetoarthritic diseases, or diabetes) and to healing of internal injuries. In particular, the present invention provides compositions and methods comprising molecules and nanoparticles with linked α-gal epitopes for induction of recruitment and activation of macrophages localized within or surrounding damaged and/or injured tissue. The recruited macrophages further recruit stem cells into the injured tissues. The recruited macrophages and stem cells promote the repair and regeneration of the treated injured tissue. In some embodiments, the present invention provides treatments for tissue repair in normal subjects and in subjects having impaired healing capabilities, such as diabetic and aged subjects. In some embodiments, the present invention provides treatments for injured tissues such as brain, peripheral nerve, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, lung, cartilage, bone, gastrointestinal tract and dysfunctional endocrine tissues. The invention further provides methods and compositions comprising molecules and nanoparticles with linked α-gal epitopes for inducing recruitment and activation of macrophages into biomaterial implants for improving the conversion of such implants into functional tissues and organs within treated patients.
