Examining the Therapeutic Potential of Botulinum Toxin Type A in the Treatment of Keloids

May 2, 2023 updated by: Arisa Ortiz, University of California, San Diego
Keloids are a common form of hypertrophic scars that by definition last beyond 6 months and grow beyond the site of initial injury. Keloids are a common complaint from patients in dermatology and cause significant functional impairment due to cosmetic disfigurement, itching and pain. Current treatment modalities include intralesional corticosteroids, chemotherapeutic agents and laser therapy. Initial reports have demonstrated that Botulinum toxin type A may be a viable treatment option for keloids that can reduce keloid size and reduce associated symptoms while having fewer side effects when compared to intralesional corticosteroid injection, which can cause unnatural blood vessel growth or skin thinning. To date, no study has carefully examined the efficacy of Botulinum toxin type A in treating keloids or its mechanistic effects on keloid biology. Our aim in this study is to pursue a rigorous, randomized control trial to assess the potential use Botulinum toxin type A to treat keloids. Efficacy will be objectively be mentioned by change in keloid size after treatment, along with subjective measures of patient satisfaction and symptoms, and finally physician rated scores. Also, samples from three patients will be analyzed in the laboratory setting to determine the underlying molecular mechanism behind the effects of Botulinum toxin type A on keloid biology.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

10

Phase

  • Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • California
      • San Diego, California, United States, 92122
        • University of California San Diego

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Adults aged 18 to 80
  2. History of keloid scar for at least 12 months
  3. Absence of keloid treatment for past 12 months
  4. Participant must have a keloid scar of at least 4cm in length.
  5. Participants who score at least 8 or higher on the Vancouver Scar Scale
  6. Subjects who score 5 (neither satisfied nor dissatisfied) to 10 (maximally dissatisfied) on the patient subjective score of dissatisfaction with keloid.
  7. Participants must be in stable health, as confirmed by medical history, per investigator judgment
  8. Participants must be able to read, sign, and understand the informed consent
  9. Participants must be willing to avoid any other treatments to the keloid that will be treated including corticosteroid injections, surgical excision, chemotherapeutic injection, lasers, light-based therapy, radiation therapy, cryotherapy, or pressure therapy, during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Pregnant women
  2. Keloids on face, neck or scalp
  3. History of hypersensitivity to botulinum toxin
  4. Ongoing or planned treatment with chemotherapy, radiation, isotretinoin, cytokine-based immunotherapies
  5. Any planned surgery during study period
  6. Known diagnosis of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
  7. Patients being treating with dupilumab for any indication
  8. Patients taking aminoglycoside antibiotics
  9. Patients with pre-existing neuromuscular disorders
  10. Patients with infection around potential injection sites

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Keloid treatment with botulinum toxin type A
Participants will receive Botulinum toxin type A 5 units / cm3 with injections of 0.2mL spaced evenly 1cm apart within the treatment area (half of the keloid). Each treatment will consist of a maximum of 2 mL (10 injection sites, 50 unit total) of the study drug. Patients will undergo 3 treatments, 6 weeks apart.
Participants will receive Botulinum toxin type A 5 units / cm3 with injections of 0.2mL spaced evenly 1cm apart within the treatment area (half of the keloid). Each treatment will consist of a maximum of 2 mL (10 injection sites, 50 unit total) of the study drug. Patients will undergo 3 treatments, 6 weeks apart.
Placebo Comparator: Keloid treatment with vehicle control (saline)
Participants will receive saline injections of 0.2mL spaced evenly 1cm apart within the placebo area (half of the keloid). Each treatment will consist of a maximum of 2 mL (10 injection sites) of the vehicle control (saline). Patients will undergo 3 treatments, 6 weeks apart.
Participants will receive saline injections of 0.2mL spaced evenly 1cm apart within the placebo area (half of the keloid). Each treatment will consist of a maximum of 2 mL (10 injection sites) of the vehicle control (saline). Patients will undergo 3 treatments, 6 weeks apart.
Other Names:
  • vehicle control (saline)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Keloid volume
Time Frame: Measurements obtained at 0 and 24 weeks.
Keloid volume will be measured using the high resolution 3D imaging system (Cherry Imaging platform)
Measurements obtained at 0 and 24 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 11, 2022

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

January 1, 2032

Study Completion (Anticipated)

January 1, 2032

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 16, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 8, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

April 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 3, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 2, 2023

Last Verified

May 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

Publication will be submitted in a peer reviewed journal.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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