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Method of inhibiting hair growthRelated Patent Categories: Drug, Bio-affecting And Body Treating Compositions, Live Hair Or Scalp Treating Compositions (nontherapeutic), Polymer Containing (nonsurfactant, Natural Or Synthetic), Protein Or DerivativeMethod of inhibiting hair growth description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060093567, Method of inhibiting hair growth. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting hair growth, and more particularly to a method of inhibiting hair growth, by which hair growth on the legs and arms, and the like can be effectively inhibited, and use of a specific enzyme inhibitor for the preparation of a hair-growth inhibitor. [0003] 2. Description of the Background Art [0004] A biological function of the scalp hair and body hair is to protect important organs of the head, chest, limbs and the like. With the development of clothes and protecting means, however, the organ-protecting function carried by the body hair has come to be unimportant. [0005] The scalp hair is generally desired to be thick. In recent years, however, the tendency to prefer having no hair on, particularly, limbs and the like has been strengthened from the viewpoint of an aesthetic appearance. Therefore, various methods for removing the body hair have been developed and used. Specific examples thereof include mechanical removing methods making use of a shaver, hair plucker or the like, methods of using a depilatory to depilate body hair out of its root, methods of using a hair remover to remove body hair by its chemical reaction, etc. [0006] However, these methods for removing the body hair are accompanied by the physical or chemical irritation of the skin, and the lastingness of their removing effects on the body hair is limited even though there is some difference between the methods. Therefore, such a treatment for removing the body hair must be conducted again after a certain period of time. It is thus desired to lighten the removal treatment of the body hair. [0007] International Application WO98/25580 published Jun. 18, 1998 discloses a method for reducing hair growth by inhibiting the activity of a matrix metalloptoteinase in the skin. The present invention intends the same purpose, i.e., providing a method of inhibiting hair growth. However, the researchers of the present invention found that hair growth is deeply influenced by the activity of elastase-like enzymes. Thus, there is fundamental difference in the present invention from the prior art, which provides a novel method characterized by inhibition of the activity of elastase-like enzymes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of inhibiting hair growth, by which the growth of body hair can be effectively inhibited to reduce the number of removal treatments of the body hair. [0009] In view of the foregoing circumstances, the present inventors have carried out an extensive investigation. As a result, it has been quite surprisingly found that inhibitors of elastase-like enzymes which digest elastin known as a structural protein in the artery, tendon, skin or the like, and inhibitors of neutral endopeptidases that are enzymes which digest opioid peptides such as enkephalin, and neuropeptides such as substance P and bradykinin have an excellent inhibitory effect on hair growth, thus leading to completion of the present invention. [0010] According to the present invention, there is thus provided a method of inhibiting hair growth, which comprises administering an inhibitor of elastase-like enzymes or a neutral endopeptidase inhibitor. [0011] According to the present invention, there is also provided use of an inhibitor of elastase-like enzymes or a neutral endopeptidase inhibitor for the preparation of a hair-growth inhibitor. [0012] According to the present invention, an excellent inhibitory effect on hair growth can be achieved, and hair-growth inhibitors high in safety for the human body can also be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING [0013] FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates the relationship between a hair cycle and the activity of an elastase in cutaneous tissue. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0014] As the inhibitor of elastase-like enzymes useful in the practice of the present invention, is preferred an elastase inhibitor, particularly, an inhibitor of elastase-like enzymes derived from a dermoepidermal fibroblast. Such inhibitors include substances which exhibit an inhibitory activity of at least 50% at 1 mM in an enzyme activity-measuring system making use of an enzyme solution extracted from, for example, cultured human fibroblasts with a 0.1% Triton X-100/0.2 M Tris-hydrochloric acid buffer solution (pH: 8.0) and containing N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Ala-p-nitroanilide as a substrate. [0015] As the neutral endopeptidase inhibitor useful in the practice of the present invention, is preferred an inhibitor of a neutral endopeptidase derived from a dermoepidermal fibroblast. Such inhibitors include substances which exhibit an inhibitory activity of at least 50% at 1 mM in an enzyme activity-measuring system making use of an enzyme solution extracted from, for example, cultured human fibroblasts with a 0.1% Triton X-100/0.2 M Tris-hydrochloric acid buffer solution (pH: 8.0) and containing glutaryl-Ala-Ala-Phe-4-methoxy-2-naphthylamine as a substrate in an MES (2-morpholino-ethane sulfonic acid) buffer solution (100 mM, pH: 6.5) to which sodium chloride (300 mM) has been added. [0016] Examples of such elastase-like enzyme inhibitors or neutral endopeptidase inhibitors include phosphonic acid derivatives, mercaptopropionamide derivatives and salts thereof. [0017] The phosphonic acid derivatives include compounds represented by the following general formula (1): wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted, or a sugar residue which may be substituted, R.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted, or a sugar residue which may be substituted, and R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom or a --CH(R.sup.4)COOH (in which R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted), and salts thereof. [0018] In the formula (1), the hydrocarbon groups which are represented by R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 and may be substituted may be either saturated hydrocarbon groups or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups, and examples thereof include alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cyclic alkyl, cyclic alkenyl, aromatic hydrocarbon and aralkyl groups. These hydrocarbon groups preferably have 1 to 24 carbon atoms, particularly 1 to 18 carbon atoms. [0019] Of the hydrocarbon groups represented by R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.4, the alkyl, cyclic alkyl, aromatic hydrocarbon and aralkyl groups are preferred. The alkyl groups are preferably linear or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, with n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl and isoamyl groups being more preferred. The cyclic alkyl groups are preferably 5- to 7-membered alicyclic alkyl groups, with cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl group being more preferred. The aromatic hydrocarbon groups are preferably aromatic hydrocarbon groups having 6 to 14 carbon atoms, such as phenyl and naphthyl groups. The aralkyl groups are preferably alkyl groups having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, which have been substituted by an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, and examples thereof include 2-phenylethyl (=phenethyl), 2-(1-naphthyl)ethyl and 2-(2-naphthyl)ethyl groups. [0020] Examples of atoms or groups which may be substituted on the hydrocarbon groups represented by R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 include halogen atoms, a hydroxyl group, alkoxyl groups, acyl groups, an amino group which may be protected, and heterocyclic groups. The halogen atoms include chlorine, bromine and iodine atoms. The alkoxyl groups are preferably alkoxyl groups having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and examples thereof include methoxy, ethoxy and isopropoxy groups. The acyl groups are preferably alkanoyl groups having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and examples thereof include acetyl, propionyl and butyryl groups. Examples of the amino group which may be protected include amino, C.sub.1-8-acylamino and C.sub.1-6-alkylamino di-(C.sub.1-6-alkyl)amino groups. The heterocyclic groups are preferably 5- to 14-membered monocyclic or fused ring groups having, as heteroatom(s), 1 to 3 nitrogen, oxygen and/or sulfur atoms, and examples thereof include pyridyl, pyridazinyl, furyl, thienyl, indolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl, benzofuryl and benzothienyl groups. Continue reading about Method of inhibiting hair growth... Full patent description for Method of inhibiting hair growth Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method of inhibiting hair growth patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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