Topical composition for improved healing of open wounds

Abstract

The present disclosure is concerned with compositions comprising insulin and a pharmaceutically acceptable topical carrier. The present disclosure is also concerned with methods of using these compositions for the treatment of a skin ailment such as a diabetic ulcer. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A topical composition comprising insulin and a mucoadhesive polymer carrier, wherein the carrier is not a cyanoacrylate polymer carrier. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition consists essentially of the mucoadhesive polymer carrier and insulin. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mucoadhesive polymer carrier comprises pullulan, sodium hyaluronate, tamarind xyloglucan, and  Zea mays  starch. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mucoadhesive polymer carrier is a gel. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mucoadhesive polymer carrier is MucoLox™. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mucoadhesive polymer carrier is present in amount of from about 90 wt % to about 99 wt %. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mucoadhesive polymer carrier comprises at least two polysaccharide polymers. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the polysaccharide polymers are selected from pullulan, sodium hyaluronate, tamarind xyloglucan, and amylopectin. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the insulin is selected from Humalog®, Humilin® R, Novolog®, Novolin® R, Lantus®, and Levemir®. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the insulin is present in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 10 wt %. 
     
     
         11 . A method for treating a skin ailment in a subject, the method comprising the step of topically administering to the skin ailment an effective amount of the topical composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the skin ailment is a diabetic ulcer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the effective amount is an amount effective to decrease blood sugar levels of the subject by at least about 50%. 
     
     
         14 . A method for treating a skin ailment having an outer edge in a subject, the method comprising managing the wound via administration of an antibiotic, debridement, off-loading, revascularization, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, administration of a wound care product, negative-pressure wound therapy, advanced moist wound therapy, or a combination thereof, wherein the subject was previously identified as being in need of treatment of the skin ailment by the steps of:
 (a) obtaining a biological sample from the skin ailment or from a surrounding tissue, wherein the surrounding tissue is within about one inch of the outer edge; and   (b) measuring the subject's blood sugar levels in the biological sample.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the subject has been diagnosed with diabetes prior to the administering step. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the skin ailment is a diabetic ulcer. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein managing the wound is via administration of a wound care product. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the wound care product comprises a topical composition comprising insulin and a pharmaceutically acceptable topical carrier. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable topical carrier is a mucoadhesive polymer carrier comprising at least two polysaccharide polymers. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the mucoadhesive polymer carrier is not a cyanoacrylate polymer carrier.