TREATMENT OF KELOID AND HYPERTROPHIC SCARS BY IONTOPHORETIC TRANSDERMAL DELIVERY OF TRANILAST

The feasibility of iontophoretic transdermal delivery of tranilast (N- (3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl) anthranilic acid) for the treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars was evaluated in hairless rats and humans. A d rug electrode containing tranilast 1.5 mi (8 mg/ml in ethanol/water (8 /2, v/v) mixture) was placed on the dorsal skin surface of anaesthetis ed rats or the affected parts of patients, and connected to the negati ve pole; an electric current (0.5-4 mA for rats, 2 mA for people) was pulsed through at one minute intervals. Tranilast was effectively deli vered transdermally iontophoretically into the restricted skin tissues of hairless rats and the affected parts of four patients with hypertr ophic scars with no skin damage. In four other patients tranilast give n iontophoretically for a period of 30 minutes a week reduced the pati ents' complaints of pain and itching after only one or two treatments although there were some variations among patients. These results indi cate that the transdermal iontophoretic delivery of tranilast is a use ful treatment for keloid and hypertrophic scars, particularly for reli eving pain and itching, and is more beneficial than tranilast given or ally.