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EP-4739325-A1 - USE OF HAIR STEM CELLS IN WOUND HEALING

EP4739325A1EP 4739325 A1EP4739325 A1EP 4739325A1EP-4739325-A1

Abstract

A method comprising: (a) harvesting hair follicles by applying a wax to a first area of skin with hair follicles protruding therefrom; and (b) removing said wax from said first area and applying it to a wound in a second area of the skin so that said hair follicles and their keratinocyte stem cells contact said wound. Related compositions, articles of manufacture, and medical devices are also disclosed.

Inventors

  • RONFARD, VINCENT
  • KEMP, PAUL

Assignees

  • Cutiss AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240707

Claims (14)

  1. 1. A method comprising: (a) harvesting hair follicles by applying a wax to a first area of skin with hair follicles protruding therefrom; and (b) removing said wax from said first area and applying it to a wound in a second area of the skin so that said hair follicles and their keratinocyte stem cells contact said wound.
  2. 2. A method according to claim 1, comprising priming said hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells prior to said applying to said wound.
  3. 3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising washing said wax and/or hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells prior to said applying to said wound.
  4. 4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising treating said wax and/or hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells with one or more antibiotics prior to said applying to said wound.
  5. 5. A wax composition with hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells adhered thereto for use in a method of wound treatment comprising application of said composition to a wound so that said hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells contact the wound.
  6. 6. A composition for use according to claim 5, wherein said hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells remain adhered to said composition during said application.
  7. 7. A composition for use according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein said method comprises priming said hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells prior to said applying to said wound.
  8. 8. A composition for use according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said method comprises washing said wax and/or said hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells prior to said applying to said wound.
  9. 9. A composition for use according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein said method comprises treating said wax and/or said hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells with one or more antibiotics prior to said applying to said wound.
  10. 10. A composition comprising wax impregnated with at least one member of the group consisting of antibiotics, growth factors, cytokines and extracellular matrix molecules.
  11. 11. An article of manufacture comprising a depilatory wax strip or sheet with through perforations distributed on a surface thereof which contacts skin during use.
  12. 12. A medical device comprising a wax composition with hair follicles containing keratinocyte stem cells adhered thereto for treating dermatological damages.
  13. 13. A medical device according to the claim 12, characterized in that the dermatological damages are selected from the group consisting of nonhealing or infected surgical or traumatic wounds, venous ulcers, arterial ulcers, pressure ulcers such as bedsore, decubitus ulcer, or pressure sore, diabetic foot ulcers, ischemic ulcers, Epidermolysis bullosa, Pyoderma gangrenosum, wounds after excision of giant congenital nevi, a in humans and animals.
  14. 14. A medical device according to the claim 12, characterized in that the dermatological damages are chosen in the group consisting of treatment of post- operative damage following the removal of tattoos, naevi, skin cancer, papilloma, after amputation, rejuvenation of actinically damaged skin after skin resurfacing.

Description

TITLE: USE OF HAIR STEM CELLS IN WOUND HEALING CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS: This PCT application claims the benefit according to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of US provisional patent application 63/512,628 filed on O9/Jul/2O23 and having the same title and inventors as the present application; which is fully incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention is in the field of stem-cell based grafts or transplants. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wound healing is a major problem in modern medicine. More than 13 million people suffer worldwide from chronic wounds per year. Many factors can lead to impaired healing. The primary factors are hypoxia, bacterial colonization, ischemia, reperfusion injury, altered cellular response, and collagen synthesis defects. Aberrant wound healing is rarely seen in normal healthy subjects. Aberrant wound healing is usually associated with comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, autoimmune disease, peripheral artery disease), increased body mass index, anatomic location, and medications. A chronic wound may be defined as a common type of skin injury that is physiologically impaired due to a disruption of the wound healing cycle and more specifically because this healing process stops at the inflammatory phase. A wound is considered as chronic when it has not healed within six weeks and shows signs of prolonged inflammation, a defective wound matrix and failure of re-epithelialization. In this case, the duration of wound healing varies with the wound's type and severity and some never happen completely. Local treatment is applied to reduce pain and itching, infection and bleeding from the wound, and tries to deal with excess exudate that can lead to unpleasant odors, element that is very troublesome for the patients. Chronic non-healing wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure ulcers present special challenges. Acute skin wounds such as burns present a separate, but no less difficult, set of challenges. Wound healing is a natural physiological reaction to tissue injury typically lasting 4 to 6 weeks. The healing process can be divided into four steps: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. The healing process involves numerous cell types, cytokines, mediators, and the vascular system. A cascade of initial vasoconstriction of blood vessels and platelet aggregation is designed to stop bleeding. This cascade is followed by an influx of a variety of inflammatory cells, starting with the neutrophils. These inflammatory cells, in turn, release a variety of mediators and cytokines to promote angiogenesis, thrombosis, and re-epithelialization. The fibroblasts, in turn, lay down extracellular components which will serve as scaffolding. During several days, the inflammatory phase is put in place for limiting further damage, closing the wound, removing cellular debris and bacteria, and fostering cellular migration. This step is characterized by hemostasis, chemotaxis, and increased vascular permeability. The mediators, cytokines and other factors secreted by neutrophils, monocytes, endothelial cells and platelets play a role in promoting collagen degradation, the transformation of fibroblasts, the growth of new vessels, cellular permeability and re-epithelialization. At the same time, the proliferative phase started with the formation of granulation tissue, re-epithelialization, and neovascularization. Production of collagen by fibroblasts happens with the migration of cells from the wound from the wound periphery and adjacent edges which allows the re- epithelialization. The neovascularization, angiogenesis and vasculogenesis occur by forming new blood vessels from existing vessels. The remodeling phase is the phase where the excess collagen degrades, and wound contraction happens, so the wound achieves the maximum strength that represents around 80% of the tensile strength of normal skin. US 7,419,661 describes the use of dermal sheath tissue and/or cells derived therefrom in wound healing systems. The relevant features of this tissue type are exploited to provide a new wound healing material that purports to have application in the provision of new therapeutic compositions and new surgical dressings where wound closure and minimal scarring is desirable. W02011/104030 describes a method for promoting the healing of superficial wounds or the restoration of the function of the skin and/or the skin appendages thereof of a second skin region, having the following steps: applying cells that were obtained from hair root sheaths of a first skin region of a donor onto a second skin region of a recipient. The application further relates to cells, to a preparation, to the use of cells, and to a method for producing a preparation. W02011050948 describes a tape, in particular adhesive tape, for the treatment of skin disorders comprising at least one base layer having a first surface facing away from the skin during use and a second surfa