The present invention describes therapeutic compositions comprising one or
more minerals, including trivalent iron, divalent manganese and salts
thereof, suitable in facilitating synthesis and deposition of connective
tissue matrix, particularly rich of elastin and collagen, and mitogenic
potential in human dermal fibroblasts. It also describes the phenomenon
in which stimulation of elastogenesis by arterial SMC associates with a
net decrease in proliferation of these cell types. The present invention
also describes methods of treatment of human skin fibroblasts and
arterial smooth muscle cells. The therapeutic compositions of the present
invention comprise one or more of trivalent iron or divalent manganese or
salts thereof and may be combined with an elastic tissue digest.