Great hope: The Japanese are moving forward with a drug to grow teeth

An important achievement in regeneration and growth teeth This is what a group of Japanese researchers have achieved, who are testing how to restore parts in adults who have lost teeth or have congenital problems. Testing will begin in 2024, and mass production is expected by 2030.

“The idea of ​​growing new teeth is the dream of every dentist. I’ve been working on this since I was a graduate student. I was confident that I could do it,” said Katsu Takahashi, Principal Investigator and Head of the Department of Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Medical Research Institute of Kitano Hospital in Osaka.

In previous animal experiments, the drug caused the growth of “third generation” teeth after primary and then permanent adult teeth.

The drug is mainly aimed at combating anodontia, which is a congenital disease that causes the growth of less than a full set of teeth, present in about 1% of the population.

Genetic factors are believed to be the main reason why a tenth of anodontia patients are missing six or more teeth, a condition classified as oligodontia. These conditions are also known as dental agenesis. People who grow up with dental agenesis experience difficulties with basic skills such as chewing, swallowing, and speaking from an early age, which can negatively impact their development.

Test in mice first

The researchers found that mice that were missing a particular gene had more teeth. A protein called USAG-1, made by this gene, has been found to limit tooth growth. In other words, blocking the action of this protein can promote the growth of more teeth.

Takahashi’s research group focused on USAG-1 and developed a neutralizing antibody capable of blocking the protein’s function. In a 2018 experiment, mice with congenitally small teeth were given drugs that made them grow new teeth. The results of the study were published in an American scientific paper in 2021 and attracted much attention as the beginning of the world’s first medicine for tooth regeneration.