Method of accelerating wound healing by administration of plasminogen
The present invention relates to the use of plasminogen and plasmin as agents for enhancing healing of tympanic membrane perforations or other wounds, and for reducing scars or necrotic tissue forming during wound healing. The invention also relates to a method for screening of compounds which enhance wound healing by evaluating the healing of tympanic membrane perforations in an animal model.
1. A method of accelerating wound healing in a subject with an epidermal tissue wound comprising:
administering, by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, locally in proximity to the wound, a composition containing an amount of purified plasminogen effective to accelerate healing of the wound.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wound is a chronic wound.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human, and the plasminogen is human plasminogen.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said composition comprises recombinant plasminogen.