A treatment capable of making fallen or missing teeth grow or regrow. A dream pursued for decades by researchers around the world, which now seems one step away from coming true. The innovative drug developed by a team of Japanese researchers, that we have been following for a while, in September it will finally face its first human test after giving exciting results on animals. An epochal turning point, destined to revolutionize the way we deal with tooth loss.
The secret? A protein
The revolutionary drug works by deactivating the USAG-1 protein, responsible for the suppression of tooth growth. By blocking the interaction of this protein with other molecules, a signaling process is triggered that stimulates the generation of new bone, and with it, new teeth. A mechanism that researchers have discovered to be surprisingly similar between different animal species, including humans.
In preliminary tests conducted on mice and ferrets, the drug gave surprising results: new teeth appeared in the mouths of the treated animals, without significant side effects. A success that paved the way for human trials, the first step of which will begin in September at theKyoto University Hospital.
Thirty volunteers, and it's just the beginning
There will be thirty volunteers who will undergo the experimental treatment: men aged between 30 and 64 years old, united by the lack of at least one molar tooth. For eleven months, from September 2024 to August 2025, they will receive the drug intravenously, while researchers will carefully monitor the effectiveness and safety of the treatment.
But this is just the beginning. In the subsequent phases, the trial will also be extended to younger patients, aged 2 to 7, suffering from congenital tooth deficiency. A condition that affects approximately 1% of the world's population, and for which there are currently no definitive treatments. And in the future, the trial could also involve those who have lost their teeth due to environmental factors, a problem that affects millions of people across the planet.
Regrowing teeth in adulthood: a dream come true
Behind this extraordinary discovery is the life's work of Dr Katsu Takahashi, molecular biologist and dentist, who has been chasing the dream of regrowing teeth since 2005. An ambitious goal, which requires not only cutting-edge scientific knowledge, but also a deep understanding of patients' needs.
“We want to do something to help those suffering from lost or missing teeth,” said Takahashi, head of the dentistry and oral surgery department at Kitano Hospital. “
Until now there was no permanent cure, but we hear that people's expectations for tooth growth are high.
Katsu Takahashi
A future without dentures
If the trial gives the desired results, the drug could be available for patients with permanent missing teeth before 2030. A prospect that opens up revolutionary scenarios for global oral health, with important repercussions also on a social and economic level.
Imagine a future where no one will ever have to rely on dentures or implants to replace lost teeth. A world in which even children born without teeth will be able to smile with confidence, without having to face years of complex and painful treatments. A horizon in which tooth loss will no longer be an inevitable fate linked to age or disease, but a problem that can be solved with a simple injection.
With the start of the first human trial of this drug, it's a future suddenly ready to dawn. Just like a new tooth.
