In a groundbreaking development, Japan is set to begin clinical trials in September 2024 on what could be the world’s first teeth-growing medecine. The innovative treatment, developed by researchers at Kitano Hospital in Osaka and Kyoto University Hospital, aims to help the estimated 1% of the population affected by congenital tooth deficiency.
The medicine works by deactivating a protein called USAG-1 that inhibits tooth growth. In animal studies, blocking this protein allowed mice and dogs with dental agenesis to grow new teeth from the tissues needed for tooth development. The researchers believe this approach could potentially help not only those born missing teeth, but also people who have lost teeth due to cavities or injuries.
“We want to do something to help those who are suffering from tooth loss or absence,” said lead researcher Katsu Takahashi, head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital. “While there has been no treatment to date providing a permanent cure, we feel that people’s expectations for tooth growth are high.”
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The initial phase of the clinical trials will focus on confirming the medicine’s safety by administering it intravenously to 30 healthy men aged 30-64 who are missing at least one back tooth. If no major side effects emerge, the next stage will involve giving the treatment to patients with congenital tooth deficiency at Kitano Hospital, specifically children aged 2-7 missing at least four teeth from birth.
Researchers hope to bring the tooth regrowth medicine to market by 2030 if the trials prove successful. The treatment is expected to cost around 1.5 million yen (approximately $9,800). For the 120,000 people in Japan believed to have genetic dental agenesis, which can affect jaw development if untreated, this could provide a welcome alternative to repeated dentures or artificial teeth implants.
“This will be the world’s first medicine to grow new teeth,” the research team stated. As they continue pushing forward with an eye to potentially treating a wider range of tooth loss causes in the future, the groundbreaking trials in Japan may mark the beginning of a new era in dental medicine.