World's First Tooth Regrowth Medicine Enters Clinical Trials — 'Every Dentist's Dream' Could Be A Life-Changing Reality

A pioneering dental medicine project in Japan is making strides toward clinical trials, with the aim of becoming the world's first tooth-regrowing treatment, according to the country's national news site Mainichi.

The upcoming trial will be focused on patients affected by anodontia, a genetic condition characterized by the absence of teeth, or partial anodontia, where people are missing some teeth, as described by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).

Clinical trials are scheduled to begin next July in Japan. If successful, regulatory approval for the tooth-regrowing medicine is anticipated by 2030, potentially heralding groundbreaking advancements in dentistry.

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The concept of growing new teeth has attracted the interest of dental professionals like Dr. Katsu Takahashi, head of the dentistry and oral surgery department at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital. Takahashi expressed his enthusiasm, calling it "every dentist's dream" in an interview with Mainichi.

Takahashi's journey toward this dream began during his graduate studies in molecular biology at Kyoto University, Japan, in 1991. Intrigued by research in the United States exploring genes related to tooth growth in mice, his research team embarked on developing an antibody to target the USAG-1 protein with the hypothesis that inhibiting this protein could stimulate additional tooth growth.

Laboratory experiments conducted in 2018 showed promising evidence when mice with a naturally limited number of teeth exhibited new tooth growth after receiving the antibody-based medicine.

Recognizing the significance of these findings, Takahashi and his team continued their investigation, targeting specific genes that could promote tooth growth. Collaborating with researchers at Kyoto University in 2005, they identified a gene responsible for producing the USAG-1 protein, which limits the number of teeth that can develop.

There may be challenges involved in controlling the shape, location and number of regrown teeth. Because the research was conducted on animal models, its applicability to humans remains uncertain, as stressed by Dr. Erinne Kennedy from the American Dental Association.

If future research proves successful, the potential of the medicine could be expanded to address more common conditions that lead to tooth loss, such as gum disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted the significant impact of severe tooth loss, defined as having eight or fewer teeth, on a person's ability to maintain a healthy diet. The condition hinders the consumption of meats, fruits and vegetables. Approximately one-quarter of U.S. adults 65 or older have eight or fewer teeth, and 1 in 6 adults in the same age group have lost all their teeth, according to the CDC's website.

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