The drug has been observed to contribute to the growth of "third-generation" teeth in animal experiments, following deciduous teeth and permanent adult teeth.
The goal is to make the drug available for general use by 2030.
Lead researcher Katsu Takahashi said, "The idea of growing new teeth is a dream for every dentist. I have been working on this since I was an undergraduate. I was fully confident that I could achieve it."
How did the study progress?
Researchers discovered that mice lacking a specific gene, had more teeth. They found that a protein called "USAG-1," synthesized by this gene, limited tooth growth. In other words, inhibiting the effect of this protein could allow more teeth to grow.
Takahashi's research team focused on USAG-1 and developed a neutralizing antibody drug to block this protein's action. In experiments conducted in 2018, this drug was administered to mice with naturally fewer teeth, leading to the emergence of new teeth. The research results were published in a scientific paper in the United States in 2021, attracting significant attention as the beginning of the world's first tooth-regeneration drug.
Now, efforts are underway to make the drug ready for human use. After confirming that it has no adverse effects on the human body, the treatment is now aimed at children between the ages of 2 and 6 with anodontia (congenital absence of teeth).
