Adults could soon have the ability to regrow teeth, much like how young children lose milk teeth and grow permanent ones. Thanks to cutting-edge research in dental biotechnology, a new drug is currently in clinical trials and is expected to hit the market by 2030.
Researchers at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital in Osaka, Japan, have developed a medication that targets the Uterine Sensitisation–Associated Gene-1 (USAG-1), a protein responsible for inhibiting tooth growth. By manipulating the gene’s action, the scientists have successfully induced tooth growth in animal models, including mice and ferrets.
This breakthrough could be life-changing for individuals who have lost teeth due to congenital conditions like anodontia, a disorder where a person is born without teeth. The drug offers hope for millions who face tooth loss, providing a natural solution that goes beyond dentures or implants.
Dr Katsu Takahashi, who is heading the research team, has vowed to deliver this accomplishment, having noted high expectations for such treatments across patients and physicians.
“We knew that suppressing USAG-1 benefits tooth growth. What we did not know was whether it would be enough,” Takahashi said in a press statement in 2021.
Takahashi added to The Mainichi that they could provide assistance to people with tooth loss or absence problems to some degree. He also suggested that even though there is no treatment that can completely cure the disease, a lot is expected in regrowing teeth.
Human trials for this drug were set to begin in September 2024, focusing on 30 men aged 30 to 64 who are missing at least one molar. The trials are expected to last around 11 months. Should this prove effective, the research team intends to test on kids between the ages of two and seven who are missing multiple teeth due to developmental anomalies.
The potential impact of this study might be highly significant for the dental health industry. At present, those who are deprived of teeth have rather limited possibilities. The only two ways, which can be opened for them, are the insertion of the dental implants or wearing of the removable dentures, which, in fact, do not resemble real teeth at all. Dental care would be thoroughly transformed and people’s quality of life would be improved if they could grow their teeth back.
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