Disclosed herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one polycationic aliphatic amine, in particular spermidine, spermine or a combination thereof. The compositions can further comprise one or more selected from decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine and an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase 1 (ODC1) such as difluoromethyl ornithine (DFMO). Also disclosed herein are methods of determining the presence of a type of wound and methods for treating the same, i.e. acute or non-healing wounds, which in a particular embodiment, comprises determining the ratio of putrescine versus spermidine/spermine. The present disclosure also includes methods promoting re-epithelialisation of wounds and pharmaceutical compositions for the same use.
