Methods of treating skin and integument conditions

#The invention relates to methods of treating skin and integument conditions, particularly with metal-containing compounds.

#It is generally desirable to treat a subject (e.g., a human) that has an undesirable condition. Many different compositions have been developed to treat undesirable conditions. For example, certain forms of silver have been reported to be effective in treating some undesirable skin conditions.

#The invention relates to methods of treating skin and integument conditions, particularly with metal-containing compounds.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a deposition system;

#FIG. 2 is a graph showing the efficacy of different forms of silver on erythema;

#FIG. 3 is a graph showing the efficacy of different forms of silver on edema;

#The inventors have discovered that certain metal-containing materials (e.g., antimicrobial, atomically disordered, nanocrystalline silver-containing materials) can be used to treat a subject with a condition by contacting an area of the subject having the condition with the metal-containing material. As explained below, the metal-containing material can be in any of a variety of forms when delivered to a subject, and the metal-containing material can be delivered to a subject in a variety of ways. As also explained below, the metal-containing material can be used to treat various subjects, conditions, and condition locations.

#Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the therapeutic properties of the metal-containing materials may be explained by one or more potential mechanisms. In one potential mechanism, it is believed that the metal-containing material (e.g., antimicrobial, atomically disordered, nanocrystalline silver-containing materials) forms one or more metastable, relatively high level metal hydroxide species (e.g., Ag(OH)43−, Ag(OH)63−) that either directly or indirectly (e.g., via the formation of one or more biological mediators) provide the observed therapeutic properties. In another potential mechanism, it is believed that the metal-containing material is capable of releasing clusters of the metal (e.g., clusters of Ag0, clusters of Ag+, clusters containing both Ag+ and Ag0) that provide the observed therapeutic properties. It is believed that combinations of potential mechanisms may result in the observed therapeutic effect of the metal-containing material.

#In general, clusters refer to relatively small groups of atoms, ions or the like. For example, a cluster can contain at least two (e.g., at least three, at least four, at least five, at least six, at least seven, at least eight, at least nine, at least 10, at least 11, at least 12, at least 13, at least 14, at least 15, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, at least 80, at least 90) atoms, ions or the like, and/or at most 1,000 (e.g., at most 900, at most 800, at most 700, at most 600, at most 500, at most 400, at most 300, at most 200, at most 100) atoms, ions or the like. Clusters are described, for example, in R. P. Andres et al., “Research Opportunities on Cluster and Cluster-Assembled Materials”, J. Mater. Res. Vol. 4, No 3, 1989, p. 704. In certain embodiments, a cluster (e.g., a cluster containing silver) can contain less than the 14 atoms and have a normal face centered cubic crystal lattice.