Methods and compositions for increasing skin remodeling

Abstract

Skin remodeling is stimulated at the site of blemished skin using an ionic metal-peptide complex to diminish or remove the skin imperfection. The blemish can be a scar, especially surgical or wound scars, acne scars, keloid scars, and the like, or a skin tag, callus, benign skin mole, stretch marks, facial keratosis, thickened sunspots of the skin, or a vitiligo spot. The peptide-ionic metal complex is comprised of an ionic metal selected from copper(II), tin(II), tin(IV), and zinc(II), and salts thereof, and the peptide component can be a hydrolysis of casein, collagen, elastin, meat products, silk protein, or soybean protein, or a chemically synthesized dipeptide, tripeptide, tetrapeptide or the like which complexes with the ionic metal.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for stimulating remodeling of blemished skin in a mammal, comprising administering to the blemished skin of said mammal a composition that comprises a ionic metal-peptide complex in an amount effective to remodel the skin and diminish or remove the skin blemish.  
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the skin blemish is a scar.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the scar is selected from the group consisting of a surgical scar, a wound scar, an acne scar, a keloid scar, a burn scar, and a Sjogren's syndrome scar.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the skin blemish is selected from the group consisting of skin tags, calluses, benign skin moles, stretch marks, facial keratosis, thickened sunspots of the skin, and vitiligo spots.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ionic metal is selected from the group consisting of copper(II), tin(II), tin(IV), and zinc(II), and therapeutically acceptable salts and complexes thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ionic metal is copper(II).  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide of the ionic metal-peptide complex is an enzymatic hydrolysis of casein, collagen, elastin, meat products, silk protein, or soybean protein.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide of the ionic metal-peptide complex is an acid hydrolysis of casein, collagen, elastin, meat products, silk protein, or soybean protein.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide of the ionic metal-peptide complex is a basic hydrolysis of casein, collagen, elastin, meat products, silk protein, or soybean protein.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide of the ionic metal-peptide complex is a bacterial hydrolysis of casein, collagen, elastin, meat products, silk protein, or soybean protein.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide of the ionic metal-peptide complex is a chemically-synthesized copper binding peptide.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the peptide of the ionic metal-peptide complex is a chemically-synthesized peptide and the ionic metal is copper(II), tin(II), tin(IV), or zinc(II).  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered topically or by injection into the skin.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ionic metal-peptide complex is combined with a carrier to form a cream or lotion.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the ionic metal-peptide complex in the composition is 1% to 25%.  
     
     
         16 . A method for inhibiting the development of a scar following a surgical incision in the skin of a mammal, comprising administering to the skin of said mammal at the site of said incision a pharmaceutical composition that comprises a ionic metal-peptide complex in an amount effective to remodel the skin and inhibit development of a scar at said site.