The ability to regrow your teeth may be closer than you think.
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A team of scientists, led by a Japanese pharmaceutical startup, is preparing to conduct human trials for a new drug that has been successfully developed and has an effect on the growth of new teeth in humans, using animals as the first test experiments.
Toregem Biopharma plans to start clinical trials in July next year, having managed to grow new teeth in mice five years ago, according to a report in the Japan Times.
Dr. Katsu Takahashi, a leading researcher on the project and head of the department of dentistry and oral surgery at the Kitano Hospital Medical Research Institute, says that “the idea of growing new teeth is every dentist’s dream.”
"I've been working on this since I was a graduate student," he told Japan's national daily news website, Mainichi, earlier this year. "I was sure I could do it."
In his research at Kyoto University since 2005, Takahashi discovered a specific gene in mice that affects their tooth development. The antibody USAG-1 can enhance tooth development if blocked, and scientists been working to develop an “antibody drug” that can block USAG-1.
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Our team is currently testing the theory that “blocking” this protein could lead to increased tooth growth. After successful trials in mice, the team went on to perform similar successful trials in ferrets – animals that have a similar dental pattern to humans.
Now, the trials will focus on healthy adults and, assuming all goes well, the team plans to conduct a clinical trial for the drug from 2025 for children aged two to six who suffer from anodontia – a rare genetic disorder that causes the absence of six or more baby and/or adult teeth.
According to the Japan Times, children participating in the clinical trial will receive a single dose of the drug to see if it affects tooth development. If the trial is successful, the drug could be available for regulatory approval by 2030. Takahashi hopes the new drug could be another option for those who don't have a full set of teeth.
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"In any case, we hope that at some point tooth regeneration medicine will be a third option alongside artificialdenturesand implants," Takahashi told Mainichi.
