Abstract: There is provided the use of mannose-6-phosphate, or a salt, precursor or analogue thereof, for providing and/or maintaining a consistent skin colour, particularly to reducing redness of skin. There is also provided the use of mannose-6-phosphate, or a salt, precursor or analogue thereof, as a skin improvement agent for providing a cosmetic effect and mannose-6-phosphate, or a salt, precursor or analogue thereof, for use in treating normal or damaged skin, wherein damaged skin is skin that has been subject to epidermal and/or dermal damage.

Abstract: Provided is WNT3A, or a therapeutically effective fragment or derivative thereof, for use as a medicament for the prevention, reduction or inhibition of scarring. Also provided is a method of preventing, reducing or inhibiting scarring, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of WNT3A, or a therapeutically effective fragment or derivative thereof, to a patient in need of such prevention, reduction or inhibition. The methods and medicaments of the invention are suitable for use in the prevention, reduction or inhibition of scarring arising as a result of healing of a wound, or scarring associated with a fibrotic disorder. The methods and medicaments disclosed are of particular use in preventing, reducing or inhibiting scarring of the skin.

Abstract: The invention provides new methods of treatment using TGF-?3 to inhibit scarring in humans, and TGF-?3 for new uses in the inhibition of scarring in humans. In a first incidence of treatment TGF-?3 is provided to each centimetre of a wound margin or each centimetre of a site at which a wound is to be formed in a first therapeutically effective amount; and in a subsequent incidence of treatment TGF-?3 is provided to each centimetre of wound margin in a larger therapeutically effective amount of TGF-?3. The incidences of treatment occur between 8 hours and 48 hours apart from one another. The TGF-?3 may be provided by intradermal injection. Also provided are kits and methods of selecting an appropriate treatment regime for inhibiting scarring associated with the healing of a human wound.

Abstract: Provided is the use of an agonist of a GABAA receptor for use in the prevention, reduction or inhibition of scarring formed on healing of a wound. Also provided is a method of preventing, reducing or inhibiting scarring formed on healing of a wound, in which a therapeutically effective amount of an agonist of a GABAA receptor is administered to a patient in need of such prevention, reduction or inhibition. The GABAA receptor agonist used may be an agonist specific to the GABAA receptor, such as Gaboxadol (7-tetra hydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The scarring to be prevented, reduced or inhibited may be scarring formed on healing of a wound of the dermis.

Abstract: Provided is WNT3A, or a therapeutically effective fragment or derivative thereof, for use as a medicament for accelerating wound healing. Also provided is a method of accelerating wound healing, the method comprising providing a therapeutically effective amount of WNT3 A, or a therapeutically effective fragment or derivative thereof, to a site where wound healing is to be accelerated. The medicaments and methods of the invention may be of particular use in accelerating the healing of skin wounds.

Abstract: Provided is secreted Frizzled Related Protein 3 (sFRP3), or a therapeutically effective fragment or derivative thereof, for use as a medicament for the prevention, reduction or inhibition of scarring. The scarring may be associated with the healing of a wound, or with a fibrotic disorder. The scarring may be associated with surgical wounds. The scarring may be scarring of the skin. The medicament may be a topical medicament, and may be suitable for local injection. Also provided is a method of preventing, reducing or inhibiting scarring, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of sFRP3, or a therapeutically effective fragment or derivative thereof, to a patient in need of such prevention, reduction or inhibition.

Abstract: Provided is the use of an agonist of a member of the nuclear hormone receptor NR4A subgroup in the manufacture of a medicament for the prevention, reduction or inhibition of scarring in a non-ocular tissue. Also provided is a method of preventing, reducing or inhibiting scarring in a non-ocular tissue, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an agonist of a member of the nuclear hormone receptor NR4A subgroup to a patient in need of such prevention, reduction or inhibition. The NR4A agonist may be 6-mercaptopurine. The medicaments and methods may preferably be used to prevent, reduce or inhibit scarring in the skin. The medicaments and methods of the invention may be used to accelerate healing of wounds.

Abstract: Provided are methods, kits and arrays for use in determining susceptibility to keloid formation. These determine susceptibility based on comparison of gene expression in a patient of interest with expression in a control sample. If expression of at least one gene, selected from the group of genes set out in Table 1, is decreased in a sample representative of gene expression in the patient compared to expression of the same gene (or genes) in the control sample this is indicative of a susceptibility to keloid formation.

Abstract: Provided are antagonists of FXR activity for use as medicament for the prevention, reduction or inhibition of scarring. This use may preferably be to prevent, reduce or inhibit scarring formed on healing of wounds. The invention also provides corresponding methods of treatment. Preferred antagonists of FXR activity include guggulsterone (Z); guggulsterone (E); a scalarane; 80-574; and a 5?-bile alcohol. In advantageous embodiments, up to 32 ?M of the antagonist of FXR activity may be provided per linear cm of wound, or cm2 of a wound or fibrotic disorder, over a 24 hour period in order to inhibit scarring.

Abstract: There is provided the use of WNT5A, or a therapeutically effective fragment or derivative thereof, in the preparation of a medicament for use in the prevention, reduction or inhibition of scarring. There is also provided the use of WNT5A, or a therapeutically effective fragment or derivative thereof, in the preparation of a medicament for use in the prevention and/or treatment of a fibrotic disorder. Further aspects relate to methods by which scarring may be prevented, reduced or inhibited, and by which fibrotic disorders may be prevented and/or treated. Therapeutically effective amounts of WNT5A, or its fragments or derivatives, that may be used in the medicaments or methods of the invention are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are methods, kits and arrays for use in determining susceptibility to keloid formation. These determine susceptibility based on comparison of gene expression in a patient of interest with expression in a control sample. If expression of at least one gene, selected from the group of genes set out in Table 1, is increased in a sample representative of gene expression in the patient compared to expression of the same gene (or genes) in the control sample this is indicative of a susceptibility to keloid formation.

Abstract: Provided are methods, kits and arrays for use in determining whether a scar of interest is keloid or non-keloid in nature. These determine keloid or non-keloid nature based on comparison of gene expression in the scar of interest with expression in a control sample. If expression of at least one gene, selected from the group of genes set out in Table 1, is decreased in a sample representative of gene expression in the scar of interest compared to expression of the same gene (or genes) in the control sample this indicates that the scar of interest comprises a keloid.

Abstract: Provided are methods, kits and arrays for use in determining whether a scar of interest is keloid or non-keloid in nature. These determine keloid or non-keloid nature based on comparison of gene expression in the scar of interest with expression in a control sample. If expression of at least one gene, selected from the group of genes set out in Table 1, is increased in a sample representative of gene expression in the scar of interest compared to expression of the same gene (or genes) in the control sample this indicates that the scar of interest comprises a keloid.

Abstract: The invention provides the use of an antagonist of CXCL 13 or CXCR5 activity in the preparation of a medicament for the prevention and/or inhibition of pathological scarring; as well as the use of such antagonists in the preparation of a medicament for the prevention and/or inhibition of fibrotic disorders; and the use of such antagonists in the preparation of a medicament for the prevention and/or treatment of a chronic wound. Medicaments or methods of the invention are particularly suitable for use in keloids or venous ulcers. Suitable antagonists of CXCL13 or CXCR5 activity may be any compound capable of inhibiting the CXCL13/CXCR5 signalling pathway. The invention also provides a model of aberrant wound healing, which may lead to pathological scar formation, or to chronic wound formation.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical for use in damaged tissue, such as wound, treatment (e.g. healing) is described. The pharmaceutical comprising a composition which comprises: (a) a growth factor; and (b) an inhibitor agent; and optionally (c) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient; wherein the inhibitor agent can inhibit the action of at least one specific adverse protein (e.g. a specific protease) that is upregulated in a damaged tissue, such as a wound, environment.