Japanese scientists propose drug to regrow teeth

Japanese scientists from Kyoto University Hospital propose a USAG-1 drug to regrow teeth in humans after animals. They intend to start human trials of a teeth-regrowth medication this autumn at Kyoto Hospital.

Trials for the first phase will involve thirty adult male subjects that will start in September and continue till 2025. Children with hereditary toothlessness between the ages of two and seven will be subjects of a later round of drug testing and trial phase.

The research author, Katsu Takashi, said the goal is to help individuals experiencing tooth loss or absence. They feel people’s expectations for tooth growth are high while there has been no treatment to provide a permanent cure.

Regrowing teeth is not that impossible. Medical researchers have been examining it for a long time. They know the teeth can regrow in other animals, so why not in humans? This recent research is an evaluation of the 2013 research.

An author of a 2013 report on human regrowth, Cheng-Ming Choung, suggested they should study alligators to learn how human tooth regrowth might work. Cheng said teeth grow in three sets for a few months in alligators and humans.

According to Cheng, there is a baby tooth under a grown-up tooth and, then there is a stem cell bud that could grow into a new tooth in alligators. When the mature tooth falls out, the second one becomes mature, and the stem cell becomes a baby one.

Interestingly, they can do this process repeatedly. Cheng clarified in his report that humans have the same teeth anatomy but don’t have similar stem cell buds. He said researchers could hypothetically reverse tooth loss if they can find how to regulate the biochemical mechanism involved in preventing further teeth regrowth.

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Hence, Japanese scientists identified Uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 (USAG-1) that prevents the growth of new teeth. They conducted research in mice and other animals, which showed teeth regrowth after deactivating the USAG-1 gene.

Following that, Japanese scientists propose a USAG-1 drug to regrow teeth once they find it safe for humans. So, they will conduct human trials testing for this drug in the later year.

Katsu Takashi and his team founded the company Toregem Biopharma to commercialize the USAG-1 drug and available for purchase by 2030. They expect teeth lost from cavities, injuries, and other incidents.