USE OF A DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE DERIVATIVE FOR ENHANCING OR ACCELERATING RE-EPITHELIALIZATION OR RE-ENDOTHELIALIZATION OF A TISSUE

摘要

The present invention relates to the use of a dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)derivative as described herein or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereoffor preparing a pharmaceutical composition for accelerating re-epithelialization or re-endothelialization of tissue in a subject in needthereof. Examples of re-epithelialization in which the invention isparticularly suited include, but are not limited to, re-epithelialization of(a) skin following surgical wounds; (b) skin abrasions caused by mechanicaltrauma, caustic agents or burns; (c) cornea following cataract surgery orcorneal transplants; (d) mucosal epithelium (respiratory, gastrointestinal,genitourinary, mammary, oral cavity, ocular tissue, liver and kidney)following infection, nonpathological etiologies or drug therapy; (e) skinfollowing grafting; and (f) renal tubule following acute tubular necrosis.Examples of re-endothelialization in which the invention is particularlysuited include, but are not limited to, re-endothelialization (or regrowth ofendothelium) in blood vessels following angioplasty, and the lysis of fibrinclots or lysis or mechanical disruption of thrombi in coronary arteries. Inaccordance with the present invention, the time to complete re-epithelialization or re-endothelialization is enhanced or accelerated byadministering a dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) derivative.