Assay for identification of compounds that promote melanin production and retinoid-like compounds identified by said assay
AssigneeGalderma Research & Development, S.N.C.
InventorDeepa Rungta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An in vitro assay for selecting compounds that alter pigmentation of skin is provided. Also, a novel class of pro-pigmentatory compounds is provided which comprise substituted aromatic or heterocyclic carboxylic acids, or derivatives thereof, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, which do not contain a pheno, naphthol, thiophenol, or a thionaphthol function in free or protected form. In a preferred embodiment, thess compounds will display activity for RXRs. These compounds may be used for altering pigmentation of human skin and/or hair in cosmetic or dermatological compositions, and for the treatment of disorders and disease conditions that affect skin or hair pigmentation.
Claims28
A cosmetic, dermatological, and/or therapeutic method for altering (promoting or inhibiting) the pigmentation of human skin and/or hair of a human subject comprising topically applying an effective amount of at least one substituted aromatic or heterocyclic carboxylic acid, derivative or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof for a sufficient length of time to induce skin and/or hair pigmentation, with the proviso that said carboxylic acid does not comprise a phenol, naphthol, thiophenol or thionaphthol function, either free or protected by a protective group.
A pharmaceutical/cosmetic/dermatological composition that alters the pigmentation of human skin and/or hair upon topical application that comprises
- (i) an amount of at least one substituted aromatic or heterocyclic carboxylic compound, derivative, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, with the proviso that said compound does not contain a free or protected phenol, naphthol, thiophenol or thionaphthol group which is effective to alter the pigmentation or human skin and/or hair;
- and
- (ii) a pharmaceutically, cosmetically, or dermatologically acceptable carrier.
An in vitro method for selecting a compound or combination of compounds that alters (increases or decreases) pigmentation of human skin and/or hair comprising the following steps:
- (i) incubating at least two melanocyte cultures with a compound or combination of compounds, the effect of which on pigmentation of human skin and/or hair is to be evaluated;
- (ii) measuring the effect of said compound, or combination of compounds, on the proliferation of melanocytes contained in one of said cultures relative to a control melanocyte culture which has been cultured under the same conditions as said culture except in the absence of said compound or combination of compounds;
- (iii) concurrently or substantially concurrently to step (ii), measuring the melanin content of cells contained in a second of said cultures which has been incubated with said compound or combination of compounds and comparing said melanin content to a control culture grown under the same conditions but in the absence of said compound or combination of compounds;
- (iv) comparing the data obtained in steps (ii) and (iii) and normalizing said data based on the proliferation (number of cells) in said melanocyte cultures in order to determine the effect, if any, of said compound, or combination of compounds, on melanin production by melanocytes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.