Dermal fillers and applications thereof

1. A method of filling a tissue space under an epidermis comprising:

(a) introducing a polymerizable solution into the tissue space, wherein the polymerizable solution comprises:

(i) a methacrylated or thiolated derivative of a plant-derived type 1 recombinant human collagen (rhCollagen); and

(ii) a photoinitiator; and

(b) applying light to the surface of the epidermis superficial to said space to induce polymerization.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymerizable solution further comprises a hyaluronic acid (HA), a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), a polyethylene glycol (PEG), oxidized cellulose (QC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, tricalcium phosphate (TCP), calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), carboxymethylcellulose, crystalline nanocellulose (CNC), modified derivatives thereof, or a combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said polymerizable solution components are introduced into the tissue space together as a mixture or independently at about the same location and about the same time, wherein when introduced into the tissue space independently:

(a) the methacrylated or thiolated derivative of a plant derived type 1 recombinant human collagen and the photoinitiator are introduced together and independently from

(b) said hyaluronic acid (HA), said poly(vinyl alcohol), said polyethylene glycol (PEG), oxidized cellulose (OC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, tricalcium phosphate (TCP), calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), carboxymethylcellulose, crystalline nanocellulose (CNC), said modified derivatives thereof, or said combinations thereof, which are introduced into the tissue space independently at about the same time.

4. The method of claim 2 , further including a step of molding or sculpting the polymerizable solution or the components of the polymerizable solution, into a desired configuration in the tissue space, wherein said step is concomitant with, or subsequent to, the step of applying light and wherein the method is non-therapeutic, and the molding or sculpting step reduces lines, folds, fine lines, wrinkles, or scars, or a combination thereof, or the method is required as a result of any medical or dental condition, said dental condition comprising a gum disease or gum replacement.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein

(a) the modified derivative of hyaluronic acid (HA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), oxidized cellulose (OC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, tricalcium phosphate (TCP), calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), carboxymethylcellulose, or crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) comprises a methacrylated or thiolated derivative; or

(b) the hyaluronic acid (HA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), oxidized cellulose (OC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, tricalcium phosphate (TCP), calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), carboxymethylcellulose, or crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) comprises a crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA), crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), crosslinked polyethylene glycol (PEG), crosslinked oxidized cellulose (OC), crosslinked polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, crosslinked tricalcium phosphate (TCP), crosslinked calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose, or crosslinked crystalline nanocellulose (CNC).

6. A method of filling a tissue space under an epidermis comprising introducing a double crosslinked dermal filler into the tissue space, wherein the double crosslinked dermal filler comprises:

(a) a plant-derived human collagen comprising a methacrylated or thiolated derivative of type 1 recombinant human collagen (rhcollagen): and

(b) a crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA) or modified crosslinked derivative thereof, a crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), a crosslinked polyethylene glycol (PEG), crosslinked oxidized cellulose (OC), crosslinked polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, crosslinked tricalcium phosphate (TCP), crosslinked calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose, crosslinked crystalline nanocellulose (CNC), modified crosslinked derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof;

wherein the plant-derived human collagen is crosslinked to the crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA), the crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), the crosslinked polyethylene glycol (PEG), the crosslinked oxidized cellulose (OC), the crosslinked polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, the crosslinked tricalcium phosphate (TCP), the crosslinked calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose, the crosslinked crystalline nanocellulose (CNC), or the modified crosslinked derivatives thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein

the modified derivative of hyaluronic acid (HA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), oxidized cellulose (OC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, tricalcium phosphate (TCP), calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), carboxymethylcellulose, or crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) comprises a methacrylated or thiolated derivative;

and wherein when crosslinked HA is selected, the ratio of crosslinked HA to the plant-derived human collagen is 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, or 0:1.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method is non-therapeutic, and said method reduces lines, folds, fine lines, wrinkles, or scars, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of inducing a cellular growth promoting scaffold in a tissue space under an epidermis comprising introducing a solution into the tissue space, the solution comprising:

(a) a plant-derived human collagen which comprises a methacrylated or thiolated derivative of plant-derived type 1 recombinant human collagen (rhCollagen); and

(b) at least one growth factor or source thereof;

wherein said method promotes healing or replacement of a collagen-comprising tissue.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein

(a) the source of the at least one growth factor comprises a plasma or a platelet-rich plasma; or

(b) the collagen-comprising tissue comprises skin; or

(c) any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said solution further comprises

(a) a hyaluronic acid (HA), a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), a polyethylene glycol (PEG), oxidized cellulose (OC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, tricalcium phosphate (TCP), calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), carboxymethylcellulose, crystalline nanocellulose (CNC), modified derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof, and a photoinitiator to induce polymerization prior to, on concomitant with, application of visible light; or

(b) a crosslinked HA or a crosslinked PVA, or a crosslinked PEG, or a crosslinked OC, or crosslinked PMMA microspheres, or a crosslinked TCP, or a crosslinked CaHA, or a crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose, or a crosslinked CNC, wherein the plant-derived human collagen is crosslinked to the crosslinked HA or crosslinked PV A, or a crosslinked PEG, or a crosslinked OC, or crosslinked PMMA microspheres, or crosslinked TCP, or crosslinked CaHA, or crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose, or crosslinked CNC.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said method is nontherapeutic and the cellular growth promoting scaffold fills in tissue space reducing lines, folds, fine lines, wrinkles, or scars, or a combination thereof.