Claims
- 1. A method of treating skin tissue on a subject's skin exhibiting, or suspected of, hair growth reduction or hair loss, which method comprises
(a) administering to said skin tissue an effective amount of photosensitizer capable of being activated by absorbing a wavelength of light of from about 400 to about 900 nm and capable of penetrating into the tissue to result in a desired degree of biodistribution; and (b) irradiating said skin tissue with light containing a wavelength of about 400 to about 900 nm; and optionally repeating said administering and irradiating over time as needed to result in a desired level of hair growth in said skin tissue.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said effective amount of a photosensitizer is in the range of about 0.005 to about 10 mg/kg body weight of said subject.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said photosensitizer is administered locally.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said photosensitizer is administered intravenously, orally, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, intraperitoneally, intradermally, topically, or by use of an implant.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the photosensitizer is administered in the form of a topical formulation having a viscosity at 20° C. of from about 50 cps to about 50000 cps.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said irradiating is localized to the skin tissue exhibiting, or suspected of, hair growth reduction or hair loss.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the photosensitizer is selected from a pro-porphyrin, a porphyrin, and mixtures thereof.
- 8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said light totals a dose that does not exceed 200 J/cm2.
- 9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said subject has been diagnosed as suffering from hair loss.
- 10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said subject has been diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia.
- 11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising treating said subject with at least one non-photodynamic treatment selected from 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, minoxidil, hair transplantation, scalp reduction, and combinations thereof.
- 12. A method of treatment with photodynamic therapy, said method comprising:
(a) administering photosensitizer to an area of a subject's skin where hair growth is desired; and (b) irradiating the area with electromagnetic energy containing a wavelength appropriate to activate the photosensitizer; wherein there is 2% or more increase in the number of terminal hairs in the treated area within 3 months.
- 13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the subject has been diagnosed as suffering from hair loss.
- 14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the subject has been diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia.
- 15. The method according to claim 12 wherein there is 3% or more increase in the number of terminal hairs in the treated area within 3 months.
- 16. The method according to claim 12 wherein the photosensitizer is administered topically to the area where hair growth is desired.
- 17. The method according to claim 12 wherein the photosensitizer is administered in the form of a topical formulation having a viscosity at 20° C. of from about 50 cps to about 50000 cps.
- 18. The method according to claim 12 wherein said irradiating is localized to the treated area of skin.
- 19. The method of claim 12 wherein the photosensitizer is selected from a pro-porphyrin, a porphyrin, and mixtures thereof.
- 20. The method according to claim 12 wherein said energy is delivered 5 minutes to 4 hours after the administration of the photosensitizer.
- 21. The method according to claim 12 wherein said energy does not exceed 200 J/cm2.
- 22. The method according to claim 12 further comprising treating the subject with at least one non-photodynamic treatment that causes an increase in the number of terminal hairs within the treatment area.
- 23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the wherein the subject is treated with at least one non-photodynamic treatment selected from 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, minoxidil, hair transplantation, scalp reduction, and combinations thereof.
- 24. A pharmaceutical composition to treat, prevent, or inhibit the development of, hair growth reduction or hair loss, said composition comprising an effective amount of photosensitizer and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient for directing the photosensitizer to the sites of hair growth reduction or hair loss.
- 25. A method of preparing an area of skin for photodynamic therapy to increase the number of terminal hairs in said area, said method comprising administering the pharmaceutical composition of claim 24 to said area.
- 26. A method of preparing an area of skin for photodynamic therapy to treat androgenetic alopecia, said method comprising administering the pharmaceutical composition of claim 24 to said area.
- 27. A method of treatment with photodynamic therapy, said method comprising
administering a photosensitizer to an area where an increase in the number of terminal hairs is desired; and irradiating that area with electromagnetic energy of an appropriate wavelength to activate the photosensitizer and increase the level of one or more pro-inflammatory cytokines, wherein an increase in the number of terminal hairs occurs in said area.
- 28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the one or more pro-inflammatory cytokines is selected from granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, interleukin-1-β, interleukin-1-α, and combinations thereof.
- 29. The method according to claim 27 wherein the subject is suffering from hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia.
- 30. A method of treatment with photodynamic therapy, said method comprising
administering photosensitizer to an area of skin where hair growth is desired; and irradiating the area with electromagnetic energy containing a wavelength appropriate to activate the photosensitizer, wherein the treatment delivers a low dose of PDT and results in an increase in the number of terminal hairs in said area.
- 31. The method according to claim 30 wherein said increase is a 2% or more increase in the number of terminal hairs in said area within 3 months.
- 32. The method according to claim 30 wherein the subject is suffering from hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia.
- 33. The method according to claim 30 wherein the photosensitizer is administered in the form of a topical formulation having a viscosity at 20° C. of from about 50 cps to about 50000 cps.
- 34. The method according to claim 30 wherein the photosensitizer is selected from a pro-porphyrin, a porphyrin, and mixtures thereof.
- 35. The method according to claim 30 wherein said energy does not exceed 200 J/cm2.
- 36. The method of claim 7 wherein said porphyrin is a BPD selected from BPD-MA, EA6, or B3.
- 37. The method of claim 9 wherein said hair loss is due to androgenetic alopecia. alopecia areata, drug-induced alopecia, or radiation induced alopecia.
- 38. A method of determining the increase in hair growth in a subject's skin exhibiting hair growth reduction or hair loss, said method comprising
a) administering a photosensitizer to said skin; b) irradiating said skin with electromagnetic energy containing a wavelength absorbed by said photosensitizer to activate it; and c) measuring the increase in hair growth, wherein an increase in hair growth in comparison to skin that has not been treated with both a) and b) can be determined.
- 39. The method of claim 38 wherein said photosensitizer is one which absorbs activating radiation in the range of about 400 nm to about 800 nm.
- 40. The method of claim 38 wherein said administering is by topical application.
- 41. The method of claim 38 wherein said electromagnetic energy is visible light.
- 42. The method of claim 38 wherein said skin that has not been treated has not been administered said photosensitizer.
- 43. The method of claim 38 wherein said skin that has not been treated has not been irradiated.
- 44. The method of claim 38 wherein said measuring is selected from counting the number of terminal hairs, measuring hair weight, measuring hair density, and/or measuring hair shaft diameter.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/291,795, filed Nov. 8, 2002, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/338,295, filed Nov. 9, 2001, which are both hereby incorporated in their entireties as if fully set forth.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60338295 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10291795 |
Nov 2002 |
US |
Child |
10422363 |
Apr 2003 |
US |