Topical compositions and methods for treating inflammatory skin diseases

Abstract

Compositions and methods for treating skin conditions, ailments or diseases, such as autoinflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, dermatitis, pyoderma gangrenosum, palmoplantar pustulosis, prurigo nodularis and/or hidradenitis suppurativa, are described. The compositions comprise an agent that modulates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, in particular an agent that agonizes the receptor. In one embodiment, the agent is indigo or a derivative of indigo, such as indirubin.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for treating an inflammatory disease, comprising:
 administering to skin or mucosal tissue of a subject a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of synthetic indirubin, thereby treating an inflammatory skin or mucosal disease in the subject,   wherein the composition is free of crystalline indirubin.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inflammatory skin or mucosal disease is an inflammatory skin disease. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inflammatory skin or mucosal disease is an inflammatory mucosal disease. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inflammatory skin disease is selected from the group consisting of a psoriasis, pyoderma gangrenosum, atopic dermatitis, palmoplantar pustulosis, and prurigo nodularis. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the psoriasis is selected from the group consisting of palmoplantar pustulosis, scalp psoriasis, and nail psoriasis. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inflammatory mucosal disease is selected from the group consisting of an inflammatory bowel disease, Sjögren syndrome, Bechet's Disease and mucus membrane pemphigold. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the inflammatory bowel disease is selected from the group consisting of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, pouchitis and proctitis. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises between about 0.001-15 wt % synthetic indirubin. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises between about 0.05-15 wt % synthetic indirubin. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic indirubin is essentially completely in solution in the composition. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the solvent is a mixture of two or more solvents that comprises an aprotic solvent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the aprotic solvent is present in the composition at between about 2.5-35 wt %. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the aprotic solvent is selected from the group consisting of isopropyl myristate, ethyl oleate, methyl lactate, dimethyl sulfoxide and decylmethylsulfoxide. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mixture comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, oleic acid, n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and dimethyl sulfoxide. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a compound that is an oily liquid at 23-25° C. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the oily liquid is oleic acid or diethyl sebacate. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is essentially free of indigo, tryptanthrin and qingdianone and is not an extract of  Indigo naturalis.    
     
     
         18 . A method for treating nail psoriasis, comprising:
 administering to a subject a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of synthetic indirubin, thereby treating the nail psoriasis in the subject,   wherein the composition is free of crystalline indirubin and is not an extract of  Indigo naturalis.      
     
     
         19 . A method for treating pyoderma gangrenosum, comprising:
 administering to a subject a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of synthetic indirubin, thereby treating the pyoderma gangrenosum in the subject,   wherein the composition is free of crystalline indirubin.   
     
     
         20 . A method for treating palmoplantar pustulosis, comprising:
 administering to a subject a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of synthetic indirubin, thereby treating the palmoplantar pustulosis in the subject,   wherein the composition is free of crystalline indirubin.   
     
     
         21 . A method for treating proctitis, comprising:
 administering to a subject a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of synthetic indirubin, thereby treating proctitis in the subject,   wherein the composition is free of crystalline indirubin.   
     
     
         22 . A topical composition, comprising:
 an oleaginous compound that is an oily liquid at between about 23-25° C., a wax, an aprotic solvent, and between about 0.001-0.3 weight percent indirubin, wherein the aprotic solvent is an amide, an ester of a carboxylic acid, an ester of a fatty acid, an ester of an acid, an ester of an alcohol, an ether, a ketone, a lactone or a sulfoxide, and wherein the aprotic solvent is not tribehenin.