Method of preventing or reducing scarring of human skin

Abstract

Insulin or a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonist provides reliable and effective prevention of scarring in human skin, or at least a reduction in the severity of scarring. The application of insulin or the PPAR agonist to wounds topically or by local injection is particularly advantageous since it simultaneously reduces / prevents scarring whilst enhancing re-epithelialisation of the wound and thus provides a dual action wound healing treatment. The present invention accordingly provides a highly effective prophylactic treatment for any individual suffering tissue trauma to reduce and / or prevent normal and / or pathological scarring.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of International Patent Application No. PCT / GB01 / 05273, filed Nov. 29, 2001.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to a method of preventing or reducing scarring of human skin. [0003] The expression “scarring” used herein refers to abnormality in one or more of colour, contour (bulging / indentation), rugosity (roughness / smoothness) and texture (softness / hardness), arising during the human skin healing process. The expression “preventing” used herein in the context of scarring refers to an adjustment to the extent of development of scarring, whereby one or more of the colour, contour, rugosity and texture of the healed skin surface approximates on ordinary visual inspection to that of the patient's normal skin. The expression “reducing” used herein in the context of scarring refers to an adjustment to the extent of development of scarring, whereby one or more of the colour, contour, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] We have now surprisingly found that insulin, and not its highly related IGFs, prevents or reduces the formation of scar tissue in human skin whilst also improving the speed of re-epithelialisation of the wound in comparison with the speed of healing of an untreated comparable wound. It is effective in preventing or reducing scarring of all types of human skin wounds, such as for example incisional wounds and larger wounds.

Problems solved by technology

However, in post natal humans, although the capacity of the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, for regeneration is phenomenal, wound healing of the deeper skin layer, the dermis, is often accompanied by a fibroproliferative response that leads to the formation of a fibrotic scar.

The tissues of the eye, particularly the cornea, often scar after surgery or trauma which reduces the vision of the individual.

Nevertheless, even when all these factors are taken into account, the severity of so-called “normal” scarring still varies dramatically between individuals.

Patients can also suffer from hyperaesthesia and pruritus and, in addition, contraction of scars located over a joint can lead to a loss of mobility.

This distressing pathological condition can affect substantial numbers of patients who have suffered various types of skin trauma, with children under the age of four years particularly prone.

At present there is no method of predicting which individuals will develop these scars, nor any method of preventing their formation or that of normal scars, nor any treatment.

However, PPAR agonists have not hitherto been shown to have any anti-scarring activity when applied to human skin.

The main problem with these approaches is that induction of scarring is not the only function of TGFβ1.

Thus, although the blocking of either the action or activation of TGFβ1 in incisional wounds may result in the reduction of scarring with relatively few deleterious side effects, the healing of larger wounds, which rely on epithelial migration for closure, may be delayed.

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