the major objects of the invention are to provide polymer matrices for isfd which are capable of containing the biologically active substances incorporated therein such that the bioactivity of said substance is essentially maintained during the manufacturing process as well as after administration and matrices for capsules aimed to targeted delivery into specific sites of git . dextran is suitable , perhaps even ideal , matrix material , since it does not need to be dissolved in organic solvents and can degrade into neutral substances , ultimately glucose which is metabolized to water and carbon dioxide and expelled from the body via respiration and urine . very advantageously , dextran is a well - known material , and all molecular weight dextrans enzymatically degrade in gastrointestinal tract by enzymes localized in the small - intestinal mucosa and have been reported to be not toxic . ( see , e . g ., european commission health & amp ; consumer protection directorate - general , scientific committee on food cs / nf / dos / 7 / add 3 “ final opinion of the scientific committee on food on a dextran preparation , produced using leuconostoc mesenteroides , saccharomyces cerevisiae and lactobacillus spp , as a novel food ingredient in bakery products ” from 18 oct . 2000 ). examples of pharmaceutically acceptable dextrans are those of molecular weight 70 kda ( macrodex ®) and 40 kda ( rheomacrodex ®) which are used intravenously as plasma expanders . the dextrans of clinical grade are commercially available and have a purity which is acceptable for the manufacture of a parenterally administrable preparation ( http :// www . dextran . net / buydextran . html ). they are able to form sufficiently stable aqueous solutions in sufficiently high concentration to enable a biologically active substance to be admixed under conditions allowing the retention of the bioactivity of such a substance . carbohydrate polymers including dextran have a glass transition temperature , which is much higher than that of all synthetic polymers of similar molecular weight . one qualitative picture explaining the high glass transition temperature of amorphous carbohydrates is that , in the dry state , the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the carbohydrate molecules leads to formation of larger molecular entities , whereas water disrupts the formation of hydrogen bonds between the carbohydrate chains . in accordance with the important role of hydrogen bonding , the formation of the hydrogen bond network proceeds via a complex mechanism involving both hydrogen bond formation and disruption and depends essentially on two parameters — temperature and water activity . manipulating these parameters , different types of polymer matrices based on carbohydrates may be theoretically obtained owing to quantity of hydrogen bonds formed and their specific spatial distribution . several experimental findings made by the inventor have supported his hypothesis that dextran may be used as polymer matrix for oral targeted delivery systems , e . g ., capsules , and for isfds . the present inventor has shown that highly concentrated aqueous solutions of dextran can be readily obtained . for example , mixing of 2 g of dextran with molecular weight 40 kda and 1 g of water in a syringe provides a not extremely viscous solution which can be dosed through 18 - 22 gauge needles . placed between two surfaces ( glass or metal ) the dextran solution provides a thin opaque film that is not adhesive to the surfaces mentioned after about eight hours at room temperature . additional slow drying provides a flexible film which has unique properties . the film can be obtained in the form of cap and body of the standard capsules when glass or metal sticks covered with the solution are used . dissolution comparative experiments showed that capsules based on dextran matrix and standard gelatin capsules have extremely different rate of dissolution in water , pbs ( ph 7 . 4 ) and 0 . 1n hcl . for example , at 37 ° c . and 1 , 000 rpm ( magnet stirrer ) in 50 ml of water , pbs ( ph 7 . 4 ) or 0 . 1n hcl , the time of total dissolution was several seconds for gelatin capsule and about 1 h for dextran capsule . however , addition of dextranase in the pbs reduces time of dissolution to several minutes . these experiments , taken together with the mentioned above fact that all molecular weight dextrans enzymatically degrade in gastrointestinal tract by enzymes localized in the small intestine mucosa , give a basis for a new strategy of targeted delivery to small intestine and colon not based on ph sensitive coatings . it is interesting to note here that there are a lot of scientific publications indicating that dextran can be enzymatically degraded only in colon by bacteria ( see , e . g ., european patent application ep 1 184 032 a1 ). however , the existence of intestinal dextranase is a well known fact from 1963 ( see dahlqvist a . “ rat intestinal dextranase . localization and relation to the other carbohydrases of the digestive tract ”, biochem . j . ( 1963 ) 86 , 72 ). slow water elimination from highly concentrated aqueous dextran solution after the hydrogen bonds net formation process started is a very important aspect of technology influencing the properties of final product , e . g ., capsule shell solubility . without this water elimination the formation of crystallized dextran particles can occur ( especially for low molecular weight dextrans ) and integrity of the homogeneous system will be destroyed . the attempts to use crystallized dextran particles for drug delivery are described in literature , for example in the u . s . pat . no . 4 , 713 , 249 , european patent application ep 1 184 032 a1 , us patent application 20040234615 . however , in these publications , there is no suggestion that articles with homogeneous structure , e . g ., capsule shell and implants or special devices based on dextran matrix could be obtained . according to the present invention , however , monolithic implants based on dextran with excellent biocompatibility and mechanical strength may be readily prepared in form of plates , screws and pins to be used for orthopaedic trauma fixation and biodegradable membrane for dental regenerative surgery . biodegradable implants in orthopaedics , in contrast to metal implants , do not require a second surgical intervention for removal of the devices , but , they have not been universally adopted , which may be due to the high level of local foreign - body reaction . the process of biodegradation of the most popular prior art implants based on pla or pga begins with the polymer chains being broken into smaller fragments by hydrolysis . the molecular weight of the implant decreases first and the mechanical strength of the implant decreases allowing subsequent mechanical fragmentation . absorption of the implant then occurs through the release of soluble degradation products , phagocytosis by macrophages and intracellular degradation . tissue responses to fixation implants made of polyglycolide have been reported in more than 15 clinical studies and adverse tissue response rates of up to 47 % have been recorded . ( ambrose c g , clanton t o : bioabsorbable implants : review of clinical experience in orthopedic surgery . annals of biomedical engineering 32 : 171 - 177 , 2004 ). it may be noted that by the term “ implant ” as used in the present application is meant any foreign object or composition implanted into the body of a mammal , such as a hard medical device , e . g ., plate , screw , pin , or a solid or semi - solid foreign body , such as an implant useful for soft tissue augmentation . it may be added , that the term “ biodegradable ” means that the isfd , which is based on dextran , after parenteral administration dissolves in the body and dextran molecules can be excreted through kidneys or ultimately metabolized by organism to water and carbon dioxide . water elimination from the concentrated dextran solutions during the process of the homogeneous net of hydrogen bonds formation can be provided by water evaporation or water extraction at an optimal rate , e . g . by the process of water extraction from dextran solution with liquid polyethylene glycol ( peg ), polypropylene glycol ( ppg ), and ethanol . the highly concentrated dextran solutions may be dispersed in the liquid low molecular weight peg and after solidification close to monolithic dextran microspheres may be obtained . these microspheres may be used as injectable bulking agent , as depot for controlled release , or as oral preparations for targeted delivery . the active substance mixed with the dextran can be in dissolved form , for example in a buffer solution , or in solid , amorphous or crystalline form , and mixing may be realized at a suitable temperature , which is generally between 0 ° c . and 45 ° c ., preferably at room temperature ( 20 ° c .). it is possible to add the biologically active substance to the dextran solution , or vice versa . since the biologically active substances suitable for use in this system , for example proteins , are generally macromolecules , it is possible , when mixing a solution of a dissolved macromolecule with dextran , that an emulsion can be formed , in which the macromolecule generally represents the inner phase , or a precipitate . this is entirely acceptable , provided that the biologically active substance retains or does not appreciably lose its bioactivity . water insoluble substances may be added in form of powder , emulsion or solution in compatible with water solvents , e . g ., ethanol . a homogeneous solution , emulsion or suspension is then created by agitation , which can be carried out using a suitable technique well known within the field . freeze - drying is often the preferred drying method , since , correctly designed , it is especially mild with respect to the enclosed biologically active substance such as protein . applied to highly concentrated dextran solutions containing bas , it provides preparation that can be stored for a long time at room temperature and readily re - hydrated to initial water concentration before application . the present inventor performed experiments with highly concentrated aqueous solutions of dextran , which are not initially extremely viscous and can be administered by injection into the body of a mammal . these experiments revealed that the dextran solutions may be solidified at physiological conditions in vivo — a fact that has not been previously described in the public area . it has surprisingly been found that when a highly concentrated aqueous dextran solution , e . g ., 67 % aqueous solution of dextran 40 kda , is placed in an aqueous medium , e . g . pbs , or injected into a mammal , gel formation occurring during a relatively short time period after exposure to an aqueous environment and release of biologically active substance ( bas ) out of the implant formed can be obtained . furthermore , an extremely important experimental finding is that the release rate of bas entrapped in implant formed coincides with the rate of the dextran matrix biodegradation ( predominantly by dissolution ) in the broad range of drugs with different molecular weights and solubility . the invention is further illustrated by the below examples , which are not to be construed as a limitation for the scope of the invention . step 1 : 1 g of distilled water was mixed with 3 g of dextran ( 1 kda , pharmacosmos ) in a 15 ml lab tube to obtain about 75 % by weight solution . the mixture was vacuumed at 6 mm hg to remove air bubbles and centrifuged for 5 min at 2 , 000 rpm . a clear solution was obtained . step 2 : three 15 ml lab tubes containing 1 ml of the dextran solution were prepared and 2 ml of water were added to every tube , which was placed in a shaker at 37 ° c . and 30 rpm . 1 ml of buffer was taken every 30 min and 1 ml of fresh water was added . the samples of buffer were analyzed gravimetrically for matrix concentration after water evaporation . close to zero order rate of dissolution during 7 days was revealed and about 50 % of matrix mass were dissolved . step 1 : 1 g of pbs ph 7 . 4 was mixed with 2 g of dextran ( 40 kda , pharmacosmos ) in a 15 ml lab tube to obtain about 67 % by weight solution . the mixture was vacuumed at 6 mm hg to remove air bubbles and centrifuged for 5 min at 2 , 000 rpm , giving a clear solution . step 2 : three 15 ml lab tubes containing 1 ml of the solution were prepared and 2 ml of pbs ph 7 . 4 was added to every tube that was placed in a shaker at 37 ° c . and 30 rpm . 1 ml of buffer was taken every 30 min and 1 ml of fresh buffer was added . the samples of buffer were analyzed gravimetrically for matrix concentration after water evaporation . close to zero order rate of dissolution during 7 days was revealed and about 50 % of matrix mass were dissolved . step 1 : 1 g of distilled water was mixed with 2 g of dextran ( 40 kda , pharmacosmos ) in a 15 ml lab tube to obtain about 67 % by weight solution . the mixture was vacuumed at 6 mm hg to remove air bubbles and centrifuged for 5 min at 2 , 000 rpm . a clear solution was obtained . step 2 : three 15 ml lab tubes containing 1 ml of the dextran solution were prepared and 2 ml of 0 . 1n hcl were added to every tube that was placed in a shaker at 37 ° c . and 30 rpm . 1 ml of medium was taken every 30 min and 1 ml of fresh acid was added . the samples of buffer were analyzed gravimetrically for matrix concentration after water evaporation . close to zero order rate of dissolution during 7 days was revealed and about 50 % of matrix mass were dissolved . step 1 : 1 g of distilled water was mixed with 2 g of dextran ( 40 kda , pharmacosmos ) in a 15 ml lab tube to obtain about 67 % by weight solution . the mixture was vacuumed at 6 mm hg to remove air bubbles and centrifuged for 5 min at 2 , 000 rpm . a clear solution was obtained . step 2 : 0 . 1 ml of insulin solution ( 25 iu ) was added to the dextran solution and thoroughly mixed therewith . 2 ml of buffer were added to the tube containing the mixture of dextran and insulin and the tube was placed in a shaker at 37 ° c . and 30 rpm . 1 ml of buffer was taken every 30 min and 1 ml of fresh buffer was added . the samples of buffer were analyzed for insulin concentration by hplc and elisa methods . close to zero order rate of release of insulin during 7 days was revealed ( fig1 ). step 1 : 1 g of distilled water was mixed with 2 g of dextran ( 40 kda , pharmacosmos ) in a 15 ml lab tube to obtain about 67 % wt . solution . the mixture was vacuumed at 6 mm hg to remove air bubbles and centrifuged for 5 min at 2 , 000 rpm and clear solution was obtained . step 2 : 0 . 1 ml of ethanol containing 4 mg of testosterone was added to the dextran solution and thoroughly mixed with . 2 ml of serum was added to the tube containing the mixture of dextran and testosterone and placed in a shaker at 37 ° c . and 30 rpm . 1 ml of serum was taken every 30 min and 1 ml of fresh one was added . the samples of buffer were analyzed for testosterone by special elisa method . zero order release of testosterone during 7 days was revealed ( fig1 ). the biodegradability and biocompatibility of the isfd based on dextran have been examined through parenteral injection ( subcutaneously and intramuscularly ) and histological examination of the tissue as a function of time . injection is possible through fine calibre needles , e . g . the 22 gauge needles mostly used for intramuscular application . isfd based on dextran disappeared normally from the mammal &# 39 ; s tissue ( mice ) without any inflammation and connective tissue formation . step 1 : 1 g of distilled water was mixed with 2 g of dextran ( 40 kda , pharmacosmos ) in a 15 ml lab tube to obtain about 67 % by weight solution . the mixture was vacuumed at 6 mm hg to remove air bubbles and centrifuged for 5 min at 2 , 000 rpm and a clear solution was obtained . step 2 : isfd formation and its biocompatibility were investigated in vivo by using the mouse as a model . the solution of step 1 was placed in an insulin syringe and administered as intramuscular and subcutaneous injection into mouse at dose of 20 μl of the solution per animal . follow - up was 1 , 7 , 28 , and 49 days . histopathology confirmed isfd formation which was well tolerated : no inflammatory reaction and connective tissue formation induced by isfd was revealed after 7 weeks . because of the rate of implant dissolution in tissue is much lower than in in vitro dissolution tests , experimental results obtained show that the isfd based on dextran can potentially be used as a controlled release depot system and as a bulking agent for soft tissue augmentation . step 1 : 1 . 5 ml of insulin actrapid ( novo nordisk ) was mixed with 3 . 5 g of dextran ( 40 kda , pharmacosmos ) in a 20 ml syringe to obtain about 70 % wt . solution . the solution was dosed in standard hard gelatin capsules # 2 ( capsulegel , usa ) in dose 0 . 25 g ( 7 . 5 iu ) per capsule . the slow water evaporation at room temperature during 12 hours did not influence capsules form and hardness . step 2 : the hypoglycemic effect of the capsules containing insulin was studied in healthy volunteers . capsules containing 250 mg of dextran 40 kda ( pharmacosmos ) were used as placebo . experiments were performed on healthy volunteers after an overnight fasting of approximately 12 hours and in the course of experiments blood glucose concentrations were measured ( glucometer one touch , basic plus , lifescan , johnson & amp ; johnson ). subjects were without food for 3 hours post dose treatment . each subject in course of the study received on the first day ( day 1 ) placebo ( standard gelatin capsule containing 250 mg of dextran 40 kda ). at the next day ( day 2 ), all subjects received two gelatin capsules prepared on step 1 . at 8th day ( day 8 ) each subject took a carbohydrates reach food and at day 9th each took the same food and 60 minutes before food four gelatin capsules prepared on step 1 . blood samples were withdrawn at timed intervals ( every 15 min ) for the determination of plasma glucose concentrations ( mmol / l ) ( fig2 and 3 ). the experimental data obtained show that the capsules provide valuable hypoglycemic effect in fasting state and effectively decrease maximal sugar levels after eating food .
a solid or semisolid implant obtainable by providing a liquid composition comprising an aqueous solution of dextran with molecular weight of 1 . 0 - 100 kda and introducing the liquid composition into the body of a mammal , whereby the implant is formed in situ in the body of the mammal . a process for preparing a composition useful for biomedical application , comprising the steps of providing a liquid composition comprising an aqueous solution of dextran having a molecular weight of 1 - 100 kda ; and bringing the liquid composition to solidify ; whereby water is gradually eliminated from the liquid composition during the solidification . a biomedical article prepared from the composition .